Ambidextrous
by Nadramon
Summary: No matter how many times he changed his name, Gilbert would never belong anywhere. He simply hopes that his master can be saved. The question is: does he still have one? [Alternate continuity from Retrace 74 onwards.]
1. Baskerville

**Ambidextrous**

AN: It all started at 6:19am on a Thursday morning. It was too hot and I couldn't sleep. _Retrace 74_ was depressing. I normally don't like introspective fics all that much, but I was in no state to deny a wild plotbunny. In the end I couldn't seem to find any better way to cope than trying to figure out how Gilbert's mind works.

My conclusion is that it goes like this: "Let's try and see the best in everyone or, failing that, the _worst_ in me." Such a cuddly fellow, our Gil is.

Speaking of whom, ever noticed that he uses both hands to shoot? I can't believe it took me this long to catch on.

Beta-read by brumal. Enjoy!

* * *

**_Baskerville_**

"_The question is," said Alice, "whether you _can_ make words mean different things."_

"_The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master—that's all."_

("Humpty Dumpty," from Lewis Carroll's _Through the Looking-Glass_)

His master was broken.

It was the one clear thought in Gilbert's mind, the sole truth he was certain of. He had trouble wrapping his mind around it. Who his master was, what got broken, how it had all come to this. He also knew that he couldn't move on if he didn't understand.

He was back at the Nightray household. As it turned out, Vincent had been using it as a headquarters for the Baskervilles all along. Furthermore, his little brother had known from Day One that Gilbert was one of them. Should he be angry at Vincent for hiding that fact? Or grateful?

No, he was angry. Vincent never told him anything. Nothing about his memories, his illegal contract, or what he was plotting. No matter how many times Gilbert asked, Vincent always feigned ignorance for his sake. Always assumed he knew what was best for Gilbert, better than his older brother did.

He could feel his concern in the iron grip Vincent had on his arm, like he was afraid his brother might dissolve and slip right through his fingers if he ever let go. It had always been like this: Vincent's insatiable need of physical contact, and Gilbert trying to keep his brother's feelings at bay. Another case of co-dependency was the last thing either sibling needed. Distance might keep their relationship somewhat stable, or so Gilbert had thought.

Vincent never let go. If Gilbert looked up, he knew he would meet mismatched eyes staring sideways at him, wide with misplaced love and worry. He had failed his younger brother as much as his master, unable to protect him as a child and as an adult. For all his wit and expertise, Vincent had been manipulated for a century, and his brother had been none the wiser. From the looks of it, every single person Gilbert was supposed to protect had become Jack's tool. And Gilbert had been the man's most _zealous_ clueless pawn.

Maybe Vincent was right. By protecting Gilbert from himself, he had protected Oz indirectly all this time...

_Oz._

Gilbert shuddered. The impulse to throw Vincent off, get up and flee the room was strong. Everything from the tall paintings on the walls to the glowing fireplace that projected distorted shadows on the carpet made him antsy. It seemed like the old smell of blood clung to the furniture, like reproachful ghosts of the murdered noblemen and women. His fellow Baskervilles, sitting in a circle on the armchairs around the low table, looked out of place in the Nightray living room. Almost like an insult. Elliot would have thrown a fit.

_Elliot._

Raven's contractor glanced over at the man who wore Leo's face. The valet and best friend of his adopted sibling. Glen Baskerville. _His master. _God, what would Elliot _think?_

His headache was unrelenting. Elliot was dead and there was nothing left of the Nightray household. Nothing but this empty room and two siblings who never belonged there. Had Gilbert ever been Elliot's older brother? The teenager had called him that when he had contracted the family Chain. Gilbert had been pleased, but he had never believed him until Oz had described them as siblings, too. If his master said it, then it had to be true.

_Master._

Oz wasn't here anymore, and whether or not Elliot Nightray had been his brother was not something Gilbert could ask Glen Baskerville. Especially not a Glen with Leo's face and Oswald's voice. Accepting. Forgiving. Glad to have them all back together.

Gilbert struggled to clear his throbbing head and acknowledge the people around him. He could hear their hushed voices over the crackling flames, like they were trying not to disturb him. No doubt the order had come from their master. Glen Baskerville could feel Gilbert's shame, and decided to let him mourn in silence for the time being. He was considerate. Gilbert had to be worthy of his thoughtfulness. Had to get his act together.

He felt naked without the hat he got from Ada. As soon as they had arrived, Gilbert had made haste to hang it on the mantelpiece, lest further contact with his skin might dirty it. His fingers itched for a cigarette, but he didn't dare smoke in front of his master.

Gilbert was getting the impression that he wasn't alone in this turmoil. He could make out the other Baskervilles beneath the wavy black bangs that fell in front of his eyes, all of them silent and respectful when their master talked. Even the kid, Lily, who sat on the impassive Doug's lap and kept glaring daggers at Gilbert when she thought no one was looking. Apparently she hadn't forgiven him for helping Break kill Fang. One of them. Gilbert was a traitor and a failure. Yet Glen had forgiven him.

The woman on his right, Lottie, didn't seem to know what to do with this Glen. She was flustered and kept shifting in her precarious position, perched on the left arm of her armchair. She stared unblinkingly at their master, like she was afraid he would disappear if she tore her eyes away for one second. Yet there was something unsure about her, a confused daze that looked like a complex mix of joy and disappointment. Gilbert could relate.

The one he was most afraid to look at – _except for his master whom he had failed, failed on so many levels _– was the chuckling girl standing sentinel at the door. The mere sound was enough to draw the man's right hand to his holster like a hateful magnet. How many times had Gilbert heard this mocking cackle in his sleep, how many of those dreams had ended with this infuriating noise dying on a gurgle after a gunshot...

Gilbert buried his face in his hand and realized he was trembling. He barely heard Vincent's solicitous inquiry over the static between his ears. In reality the gunshot had killed Echo as surely as it had broken Oz, the Noise had taken over and now Zwei was laughing and laughing and laughing…

"Gilbert."

The man straightened automatically to look at Leo's serene face with wild eyes. He must have looked like a madman.

"Master?"

The possessed boy heaved a sigh that sounded way too weary for his age, and laid a hand on Gilbert's shoulder. The man recoiled. He was unworthy.

Glen was unbothered by his reaction: "You can go rest in your room for a while if you'd like. We can fill you in on the details later. You've done more than enough."

There was a tight feeling in Gilbert's chest. _Enough._ He had shot Oz. He had shot _Oz._

Yet his master was right here, smiling at him with this sad expression that Gilbert remembered so clearly, it was suffocating. This sadness he understood only now, when it was far too late. His master was dead and the world was ending. All because of Jack.

But did Gilbert have any right to blame Jack when he had been the one to tell Glen to trust the man? When he had been the one to stand between them, to allow Jack to use him as a hostage and then deal the final blow? When, all because of Gilbert's foolishness, Oz had been forced to kill by his contractor?

_Oz is a Chain. Oz is B-Rabbit._

How was this possible? The world was ending and nothing made sense...

"It's alright." Glen was holding his shoulder as Gilbert clutched at his temples. He was sorry, _sorry, I'm so sorry…_ "We can still stop the Black Rabbit."

Gilbert shook his head.

"I shot him," the words tumbled out of his mouth like sharp knives on his quivering lips. "I shot him, how could I, _Oz..._"

"What a crybaby," Lily said under her breath, and let out a yelp of pain when Vincent threw a chess piece at her nose, earning a curt scolding from Lottie. Their bickering was a blur. Gilbert couldn't look his brother in the eye.

Oz had been calling for him, had clung to him for dear life and cried. Gilbert was needed. _He shot him._ The last image he had of him was made of soaked blond hair tainted green by the grass, an empty stare and a bloody stomach. Then Break had stepped forward with Alice in his arms, and the three of them had vanished into Eques' shadow. Her scream still rang in Gilbert's ears.

His left hand ached. The drain the seal was putting on him was dulling the vice-like grip Vincent had on his arm. Gilbert could feel Raven's power burning through his veins as B-Rabbit thrashed against the chains that bound its destructive abilities.

Oz was alive. He had to be.

"You did the right thing," Glen told him patiently. He was too focused, it seemed, on the task of comforting Gilbert to pay any mind to his underlings' antics. Understanding. Reassuring. "This child should never have been born."

Something snapped. Thirteen-years worth of hatred boiled deep inside Gilbert's gut. He despised those words and the man who spoke them. A cruel, evil man who could say such horrible things to his son's face and walk away with a condescending smile, leaving the broken boy all alone in the rain...

Instead of the abhorred scarred face, Gilbert met the calm eyes of a slender boy as Glen Baskerville stared impassively at the barrel of a gun.

Vincent caught Lottie's wrist before her knife could slice Gilbert's throat. The Baskervilles had stood up as one except for Zwei, who stayed at her post and leaned towards the scene eagerly, her Chain looming behind her. One word from Glen froze them all to the spot. The gun slipped from Gilbert's slack fingers and hit the carpet with a _thud._

"Let him go."

Gilbert bolted out before Vincent even lessened his grip. Gilbert could hear his brother calling after him and feel the faint sting of the cut that Lottie's knife had left when he got away. On his way out, the man bumped into several of Zwei's puppets without eliciting so much as a blink from them. None of it mattered. His hands were crying for blood, just how many people would he have to kill in the name of his master, _out,_ _he wanted out!_

The dull green of Oz's eyes and the resigned face that Glen wore in front of a gun haunted Gilbert as he staggered back to the room he hadn't used in two years. It was unlit and sober in the cool evening, with a faint smell of dust in the air. Nothing about it felt familiar.

Gilbert dug his nails into the back of the nearest plush armchair and looked hard at his hands. His gloves gleamed an eerie white in the dark. Every time he blinked, the man expected crimson stains to bloom between his fingers. If he focused hard, he could remember the fleeting touch of soaked feathers. If he tried hard enough, he could almost feel the heartbeat under Oz's seal.

It felt like hours until the sound of the door opening pulled him out of his trance. Leo was standing in the doorway. The sudden light from the corridor blinded Gilbert to everything but the boyish figure and its unkempt hair. For a second it felt like another time, where Gilbert might never have left the Nightray household: Leo would have come to fetch him for dinner, because Elliot knew his siblings would forget on purpose and – as Leo would point out – Elliot was too shy to do it himself.

"I will let some light in," Oswald's voice warned.

Gilbert closed his eyes tightly. When he opened them again, the curtains had been drawn back, and the sunset bathed the room in an orange glow. Leo's hand was still clutched around the thick fabric with his back to Gilbert. Perfectly trusting in spite of his freshly bandaged chest wound and the gun Gilbert had pointed at him.

An apology was on Gilbert's lips when the boy turned to him with his timeless gaze and sad smile:

"I figured you would be too agitated to get a proper rest. You haven't changed."

Hearing this made Gilbert feel very small. In spite of the petite stature of his vessel, Glen sounded just like the man whom Gilbert would seek at night as a child until his master chased the nightmares away with calm, sensible words.

But they _had_ changed. Gilbert was a man, and that soothing voice had ordered him to kill.

"I can imagine how hard it must be for you." Even now, his master seemed able to see right through him. "But it was necessary. In order to protect the peace of the Abyss, sacrifices have to be made. This is our lot as Baskervilles."

Oswald's voice had a strained quality to it. Suddenly it occurred to Gilbert that this man had sent his own sister to the Abyss.

Earlier, back at the reunion Gilbert had fled, Glen had briefly alluded to his past in order to explain Jack's motive and plans to his subordinates, so they could think of a way to stop him for good. Their master hadn't elaborated. Like sending your younger sibling to a hellish dimension because they happened to be born with red irises was just that: a necessity. Something Oswald had never considered to object to, and that Glen had done without question.

This part of the meeting had shocked Gilbert enough to stare at his master in outrage – he could feel Vincent's weight next to him, smell the gunpowder from the mechanic shot aimed at Oz – and their eyes had met. For all their resignation and practicality, Glen's gaze seemed bottomless. It was like staring into the Abyss and its never ending darkness, which bore nothing but loneliness and pain. Gilbert had had to look away.

The boy who stood before him in his old bedroom bore the soul of a man who had seen everything. As Gilbert looked back at the dancing golden specks in his calm midnight eyes, he knew they spoke nothing but the truth. As leader of the Baskervilles, Glen knew the Abyss and its laws better than anyone, and had suffered more from them than all contractors put together. His words were absolute. _Sacrifices have to be made._

Gilbert remembered tousled fair hair in the sunlight, laughing green eyes, and a mischievous smile. A giant monster screaming through its tears as its scythe mowed red-caped figures, like a bloody harvest. The chiming sound of chains breaking in a golden rain. A small body lying abandoned on the wet grass like a broken toy.

Oz had to be killed.

"There has to be another way…" Gilbert had fallen to his knees. His earlier offence vanished from his mind as desperation took the better of him. The man took Glen's sleeve in his hands and looked up at him with imploring eyes. "Oz didn't do anything wrong. You _know_ he didn't want to hurt anyone, it was Jack who… Master, _please...!_"

"Oz was born to destroy everything," Glen held Gilbert's left fist in his hands and unclenched it gently. "It is its nature. You, too, must have noticed, with the way the child treated you."

Gilbert's mouth went slack: "What...?"

"I have Leo's memories," Glen said. "I have seen the kind of relationship the two of you had. I am glad you could come back to my side." Leo's mouth smiled slightly. "I am proud to have you as my servant, Gilbert. Don't be so hard on yourself."

Gilbert felt reassured. _He felt sick. _That was the kind of comfort he had always sought, the feeling of belonging, being needed. _He was such a leech. He deserved none of it. _Of course his master spoke the truth. Gilbert had been blind all along.

"The kind of relationship we had… That's right," Gilbert whispered and stared off to the side. Towards the ruins of Sablier, a few weeks back. How come it felt like a lifetime ago?

"_Even if you trip and fall, I'll be by your side to support you,"_ Oz had told him. "_So, you can just fall without worrying about a thing!"_

That was what Gilbert had needed to hear. His memories and murderous thoughts kept haunting him. The man had relied on Oz entirely, had let all the weight of his worries rest on the boy's shoulders. No matter how many times he told himself it was wrong.

"That's right," Gilbert repeated, his smile bitter and broken as he held on to his master. "It brought nothing but destruction. I was the monster all along."

Oswald's confused voice came from very far away:

"What do you mean?"

Gilbert glanced up. The boy's surreal eyes looked slightly wider and honestly disconcerted. Worried, even. They didn't understand. Of course they didn't...

"Oz couldn't help it..." Gilbert explained. "But I was a lot more destructive than he ever was."

Leo had only seen the surface. Oz kicking his servant at the slightest wrongdoing, Gilbert's obsession with him – _"abnormal,"_ Break had called it. He had tried to warn him so many times and Gilbert never listened – the murderous thoughts that had almost made him kill Alice, Zai, and Break in turn...

"You don't know," Gilbert said breathlessly. His eyes were unfocused, and his right fist clenched a fancy sleeve. At the moment he couldn't remember whom he was talking to. "You have no idea how it was these first months, after Lord Oscar found me. I couldn't remember anything. I just knew I had done something terrible. Unforgivable. I had no idea what happened to the master. That's what I told Lord Oscar. That's why he took me to Oz. But Oz, he..."

His voice broke on the name the second time he said it. He could barely feel the boy's fingers around his left hand, indicating that Glen was giving him his full attention. All Gilbert could see and hear was the distant voice of a ten year old boy swearing to protect him as long as he lived. Taking a blow to the head for Gilbert, punching him with all his might immediately after, when the amnesiac boy had thrown a panic fit.

"It's true," Gilbert said softly. "Oz was violent. He was tyrannical. But that's the only way he knew how to keep me here. For the first few months at the Vessalius household, I kept having panic attacks and losing contact with reality. Oz... He was always there for me. When no one else could reach me, he would hit me as hard as he could and wake me up. Tell me I belonged with him."

Gilbert had clung to this boy as if he were a lifeline. A commanding voice, laughter and pain had made the injunctions in his head grow fainter. Oz had accepted him as he was: a lost, amnesiac child with unstable emotions who cried all the time, born solely for servitude. Except for the last part...

"_Stop calling me 'master'!"_ Oz had told him over and over, and begrudgingly accepted the compromise of "young master." As a child, Gilbert had thought Oz was being too generous. Gilbert would have done anything for him, which was only natural for a servant. And he knew Oz felt the same, which was both improper and wonderful.

"Oz gave me more than a master," Gilbert was unable to stop. "He called me his best friend. I was just a servant, yet he let me train and play with him. He faced an armed man to protect me..."

Gilbert drifted off. That was when everything had gone downhill for the both of them. Oz vanished and silence fell on Gilbert's life, heavy and foreboding. There was nothing left to distract the boy from his hell and its bloodthirsty disembodied voice. He hated to recall the ceremony from ten years ago.

"And as soon as he disappeared..."

Gilbert had lost everything. Given up on everything for the sole purpose of bringing Oz back. Betrayed the household he had once called home, brought shame and grief to Lord Oscar and Lady Ada, took a disgraceful noble name, used his own brother to form a contract, stole Elliot's legacy, learnt how to use a gun, and shed blood on Pandora's orders.

"There was no one to stop me," Gilbert's voice was trembling with self-disgust. "So I became a criminal. I didn't mind tainting my soul if I could save him. Even if I lost his trust for good. Because Oz was the only one who kept me together."

All his sins hadn't mattered next to the slimmest hope of bringing Oz back. Gilbert had cried and gone sick with self-loathing, but not once had he considered turning back. Neither had he ever expected Oz to want anything to do with the man he had become.

"But he came back on his own," Gilbert laughed bitterly. His eyes felt strangely dry from staring into a past long gone. "I was useless. And a traitor to the Vessalius. And yet… Oz… He forgave it all."

No matter what he did, Oz wanted him by his side. Unpredictable, noble-minded, brave, _wonderful_ Oz Vessalius...

"Yes, he's tyrannical…" Gilbert's voice got louder. The words fell like tearless sobs on the soft fabric clutched between his fingers. "So _what?_ He has every right to be! I was nothing but trouble for him and as soon as he disappeared, I lost my mind! I don't even know why he put up with me! Why he kept me near... I deserved none of it, and I wanted it all!"

A person to love, respect, obey, and protect at all costs. How could Oz _not_ be his master?

"Gilbert... Please calm down…"

"I don't know why, but it doesn't matter as long as he wants me! I can take anything if I can be by his side! _Oz can have all of me!_"

The sentence choked him. No… Gilbert had no right to make such claims anymore. Not after what he had done.

"Please come back," Oswald's voice said, low and unsure. Afraid? "Stay with me."

Gilbert's breathing came out harsh and uneven. He could feel a hand patting his head. It was comforting and awkward. Warm and lonely. Alienating. The boy holding him had the wrong scent, the voice in his ear was too deep and its body too young, while Gilbert was too big. Nothing would fit.

Gilbert didn't belong here. Not in the Nightray house, not with the Baskervilles. Oz was hurt and possibly _dying,_ what was he even _doing_ here?

_If I go back, I may shoot him again._

The man shuddered and hid his face in the young noble's dress. Vincent had never protected Oz. If he had warned his brother, told him about his past earlier, things might have occurred differently. Gilbert would have been able to face his memories head-on, without a severed head to cradle and broken boys with ghosts' voices that made him mad with longing.

Maybe then Gilbert's choice wouldn't have depended on who ordered him first.

_Shoot him. _An order Glen never apologized for.

_Why should the master apologize?_ came the gravely voice in his head.

_Because it was Oz,_ Gilbert thought right back.

Long fingers let go of his hand and came to rest on his head instead. All was quiet except for Gilbert's laboured breathing.

"You went through a lot," Oswald's voice said at last, his breath brushing Gilbert's hair. "I didn't expect you to survive Sablier. You are strong, Gilbert."

The words surprised him. Even the tone felt at odds with his master's voice. It had grown hesitant, like Glen was having trouble forming sentences. In his clouded mind, Gilbert remembered his master as a person of few words. And the man hadn't tried to comfort anyone in a century.

"But you know you can't use this child as a reprieve. You couldn't have kept that connection forever," the voice grew softer. "Neither of you. The truth about Oz would have come out eventually."

It felt so strange, hearing Oz's name in that deep voice. Almost like Glen knew Oz personally. The notion made Gilbert's throat tighten.

"He's so lonely…" Gilbert mumbled into Glen's chest. "He was always so lonely..."

"I know," his master's tone was so tired. It really sounded like he knew. "Oz truly is a pitiful being. Erasing his existence is the least we can do."

"_No._"

Gilbert could go no further than that. No more than a simple monosyllable to oppose his master. But he had to say it. Oz deserved better than pity. He was too bright and dashing for that. If anything between them got broken, Gilbert was the only one to blame.

"It is the truth," Glen said calmly. "This child can't call anything his own. All this time, Jack made him live a lie. He is better off dead."

Because Gilbert hadn't known anything. Hadn't been able to see through the lies Jack had drawn their lives with. Gilbert had promised on a whim, without thinking, but no matter how much he wanted to believe, the servant could never have made "forever" come true. Or maybe he could have. If only he had been more insightful... Now it was too late.

"What about her?" he whispered without thinking, hoping for a way out, _any_ way out. "What about Alice? Isn't she B-Rabbit, too?"

Glen's grip tightened around his locks.

"Alice is already dead."

Dread filled Gilbert's chest before he had time to fully process those words. Then he remembered what Oz and he had seen in the Cheshire cat's dimension. He wasn't sure what it meant for the Alice he knew. What Glen was implying, exactly.

The only thing that mattered was that there was no way to save her. No way to save Oz.

"…Leo?" Were they all fated to disappear?

"He is still here." It was a minute difference, but Oswald's voice sounded lighter. Gilbert could hear the beginning of a smile. "The attack only weakened him. He will come back eventually."

Gilbert sighed. That was a relief. At least Oz had managed to save his friend. He was always desperate to help, no matter how hopeless the situation looked. A feeling Gilbert knew all too well. The both of them had always been so reckless... And their most venturesome act had probably been to let themselves depend on each other so much.

Yet his master had always looked like he could do anything. Gilbert still believed that. What he had never fully grasped was just how deep the boy's trust ran. As a child, Gilbert had been too dazzled by Oz to wonder at his magnanimity.

Here, in the arms of this master he couldn't remember twenty-four hours ago, as Gilbert begged for answers he couldn't find, he was starting to understand Oz's way of thinking. Why the boy was so bothered when Gilbert called him "master," why he resorted to violence so often to bring his servant back to his senses. Just like Break when Gilbert had almost killed Zai in spite of his vow.

Oz had always known. What Break could guess from his past as Kevin Regnard and the Red-Eyed Ghost, Oz had felt since the day he first met Gilbert, fifteen years ago. His servant was mad, and starved for acknowledgment of any kind. Ready to cling to the first person to tell him he could be useful, and do their every bidding. It was the twisted mind of a murderer.

Regardless, Oz had chosen to trust him. Enough to believe in his promise of undying loyalty, to keep Gilbert by his side with his tainted soul and secrets, to let his servant keep those secrets until he was ready to speak, to always respect his choice. Like Gilbert was actually capable of free will.

Gilbert wished he could give all of this back and so much more. Yet all Oz had gotten was a bullet wound and a death sentence from Gilbert's real master. The servant couldn't find his way around Glen's wisdom and sorrow. No matter where he looked, there was no way back to Oz. Not if Gilbert couldn't trust himself.

Exhaustion was pulling him in. Gilbert could feel his master leading him by the hand to the bed. It still hurt. After lying down, Gilbert gripped his left arm, lest the appendage should fire more stray bullets. He could feel a pulse, which might have been his own, or Raven's, or, hopefully, Oz's.

"Rest," Oswald's voice ordered him. "We can talk tomorrow."

So Gilbert let the heartbeat lull him to sleep. Whoever it belonged to, he never wanted it to stop. _Remember your priorities. _Jack was a common enemy. If only Gilbert could sever the link that ghost had with Oz. If he could end this with anything but a bullet...

He thought he heard a caw. And his master's voice.

"You will recover in due time."


	2. Nightray

**Ambidextrous**

AN: Thanks a bunch to everyone who reviewed! Since some of you asked, and I can't write one-shots without a sequel in mind, _Ambidextrous_ is now a multi-chaptered alternate continuity.

However, I will still try to fit as many canon facts as possible in my chapters, so expect **spoilers for Retraces 75 and 76** in this one.

The original one-shot hence gains the subtitle _Baskerville, _and this chapter is called _Nightray._ There will be four in total. Can you guess the last two?

* * *

**_Nightray_**

The creaking sound of a door opening woke him up. Gilbert turned his head towards it, and saw his brother standing in the doorway. Night had fallen on his old bedroom. The only light came from the candle Vincent was holding, and the airy dust that clung to his dirty blond hair. Gilbert's mind was still too drowsy to understand the situation.

His brother smiled apologetically. It didn't reach his eyes.

"I let you sleep as long as I could, but we have to go. I just got a call from Pandora Headquarters."

"Pandora…?" Gilbert sat up. "But I thought…"

"The Baskervilles have put Pandora under siege. They are gathering the contractors of the five Black Winged Chains. Your master expects you, brother."

The words were hammering reality into his head, leaving him alert and terrified. They woke the pain in his left hand. Gilbert jumped to his feet and threw on his discarded coat. Someone had hung the cloth to dry on the mantelpiece, but it still clung to his undershirt. He couldn't have slept that long.

Vincent was watching him closely. When Gilbert went for the door, his brother followed in long, even strides. Every move he made sounded composed and deliberate. But whenever Gilbert looked over his shoulder or into the dark glass of a passing window, he would meet Vincent's eyes.

He could feel them boring into his back as Vincent told him everything that had happened while he slept. In order to prevent the chains holding the world from breaking, the Baskervilles needed the power of the five Black Winged Chains. Glen couldn't use the full power of the Jabberwocky with the fifth Sealing Stone still intact, but thanks to Duke Barma's collaboration, they had learnt its location: Count Eyrie's manor, a little further East after the Nightray household.

Duke Barma had warned them against the count's high security, so the Baskervilles had split into two groups: Doug and Lily had gone to destroy the stone, while Zwei, Lottie and Glen – who couldn't go near the stone – had gone back to Pandora Headquarters, as reinforcements for the illegal contractors. They were to take control of Pandora in order to find the five keys to the Abyss, but their main targets were Sheryl Rainsworth's Owl and, of course, Oz.

Gilbert pushed the front door open, and raised his arms to shield himself from the sudden airstream. The rain wouldn't stop. The sultry air was charged with electricity, and the trees bended under the howling wind. But it wasn't water falling from the heavens. No matter where Gilbert looked, golden drops filled his vision. The world was collapsing all around him.

As he ran, Gilbert felt for the pendant under his shirt. The chain was ice cold under the drenched fabric, but the mirror was emitting some warmth. It felt like its contractor's body heat clung to it stubbornly. Like the Raven kept some of Gilbert's strength trapped there. The pain in his left hand got sharper at that thought. He had no idea how to stop it. There was no choice but to ignore it and keep going.

A carriage was waiting. Their driver was struggling to calm the horses, and swearing like a trooper at the weather. Gilbert got in without a word, his mind filled with thoughts of bloody corpses, burning buildings and a bottomless pit. Even if the Baskervilles managed to stop the destruction of the world, the damage already done was probably too great. It would be Sablier all over again.

When he sat down, Gilbert noticed a long, tightly packed-up bundle, which was propped up by cushions on the opposite seat.

"What is this?" Gilbert pointed at the baggage when Vincent boarded.

Vincent sat close to the object, and closed a hand around its wrapping. He kept it safely tucked next to him.

"Only something you are going to need later."

Gilbert wanted to prompt, but just then the carriage started, and almost knocked him off balance. He straightened up, and glanced out the window at the night landscape rushing by. Their speed was probably unwise on these roads and with an upcoming storm, but he wasn't going to complain. They had no time to spare.

"It's only a matter of time until Pandora gives in," his little brother resumed his account. "The Hatter has been caught."

"_What?_"

"I heard it just now, on the phone. They took his blood mirror and imprisoned him."

Gilbert was hanging on the edge of his seat, waiting with bated breath for more, but Vincent had stopped talking. He was watching his older brother in silent apprehension. Gilbert hated how forlorn he looked. The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them:

"Oz. What about him? What have they done to Oz?"

Vincent frowned slightly. Gilbert wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't been looking so intently.

"The Hatter was carrying him when they got to him. Oz was taken as well. Last I heard from Zwei, they took him to a cell to seal his powers."

"He is alive..."

Vincent's lips were drawn into a thin line. Even in the darkness of the carriage, his eyes were bright and calculating.

"…Does it matter to you?"

"Of course it does!" Gilbert's voice was trembling, with anger or fear, probably both. "What do you _think…_"

"Brother," Vincent interrupted softly, "I know that you blame yourself for what happened."

He was shaking his head with a fond, disapproving smile playing on his lips. Pieces of golden chains went flying around his unruly hair. There was a childish air about him, which unsettled Gilbert and reduced him to silence. As patronizing as Vincent's gestures were, Gilbert couldn't help but notice how tense his little brother's shoulders looked.

"And if I told you it wasn't your fault, you wouldn't listen," Vincent chuckled. "Still. Your master knew what he was doing."

Gilbert's left hand twitched. It might have been him, or Vincent had put a slight emphasis on the word 'master.'

"Besides," his brother went on after a short silence, "you knew that B-Rabbit was the one who broke the chains. But to you, this Chain was always too human. Not to mention that," his lips twisted into something that might have been a sympathetic smile, or a teasing one. "For a while, Oz filled a gap in your life, didn't he?"

Gilbert couldn't answer. It was, after all, nothing but the truth, things that Glen had already talked him through. Gilbert was perfectly aware of the way he had used Oz. That made his betrayal all the worse. Even if his master ordered it, he had no right to hurt Oz in any way. And now, even Break had suffered the consequences of Gilbert's weakness. He couldn't leave things like this.

"I can't abandon him..."

"You mean your master?"

Gilbert flinched. He had definitely heard it. There was a slight tremor in Vincent's voice; the one he had acquired after Gilbert had scolded him during their face-off in Réveil. It sounded uncertain, and grew more urgent every time he mentioned Gilbert's master. It almost felt like a physical pull...

"Of course. You only live for him," Vincent rested his forearms on his knees, and leaned in. "You told me this yourself: if his life is in danger, you'd kill anyone who threatened your master, wouldn't you? If you think about it, nothing has changed."

Lightning struck and illuminated the compartment. Vincent's eye shone a bright, pained red:

"The one trying to take your master away is B-Rabbit."

"_Shut up!_" Gilbert clutched at his temples. He didn't want to hear those words. They wormed their way into his skull, niggling at the back of his mind like claws on glass, everything would shatter unless that gravely voice shut up, _shut up!_ "I didn't know it was Oz!"

"You couldn't have known." It took Gilbert a while to realize that it was his brother speaking, and not the bloodthirsty voice in his head. "But you can only serve one master."

_Master._ Everything was so much simpler when he had a master to serve. _Love him. Follow his orders._ Simple. Easy. _Kill his enemies._ Simple, and the servant had still failed.

In order to protect his master, Gilbert should have stopped Jack a hundred years ago. He had been too late, and too naïve. Jack had gotten away and killed Glen. Gilbert had followed the order belatedly, and shot Oz instead. Knowing all the while that it wasn't really Jack he was killing, and that his master was long lost, anyway.

Thunder rumbled in the distance. It was still far. Gilbert barely heard it over the clatter of the carriage wheels against the uneven road, but it was enough to bring him back to reality.

"I know that," he told his brother through gritted teeth. "I know..."

He couldn't use his master as an excuse for what he had put Oz through. The truth was that Gilbert's act had been cruel and pointless. Even if Jack was the enemy, he was well out of his reach. Shooting the vessel wouldn't rid either Glen or Oz of the ghost.

Gilbert had followed the order blindly, but it hadn't brought his master back from the dead. Nothing would.

"I can't ever make up for what I did then. I lost my master back in Sablier."

His voice sounded hollow to his own ears. Yet somehow, his headache was easier to bear after he said it. Gilbert knew exactly where he stood, and how hopeless his situation was. Glen may have forgiven him, but Gilbert had never earned his trust, and he never would. Now, a way out was all he could wish for.

More importantly, Vincent's expression was seriously worrying him. Gilbert had always resented the fact that his little brother hid things from him, and never confided in anyone, when it was obvious that Vincent had troubles he couldn't handle alone. Now more than ever, under all the smooth words and calculating gaze, Vincent looked like he could crumble at the slightest push.

"…There might be a way to undo that." Vincent said. He was talking so softly that Gilbert barely heard him over the storm and jolting carriage.

"What are you saying?"

Vincent seemed to hesitate. He took a slow, deep breath:

"What if you could prevent your master's death? What if you could go back to that time?"

Gilbert's eyes widened.

"You don't mean…"

"I made a deal with Leo Baskerville," Vincent was talking faster, his back very straight against his seat. "He is the Glen of this time. If he obtains the Will of the Abyss, he agreed to grant me a wish. Gil, we can change the past."

What remained of Gilbert's headache vanished at that. He looked at his brother in a daze, his heart hammering in his chest. Change the past. They could do anything. Bring Elliot back. Prevent the Tragedy from ever happening. Save his master. Save Oz…

His train of thoughts stopped short. Gilbert's hope deflated like a bubble, before it was even fully formed. Of course he couldn't save Oz. Not the boy he had served for five years, and followed into the darkness of the Abyss. If anyone turned back time, and prevented the Tragedy of Sablier, there would be nothing left of the Oz he knew.

"It _is_ possible," Vincent insisted. "I spent years gathering information from Pandora and the Baskervilles. I know for a fact that it has been done before."

In a flash, Gilbert saw Break's completed seal, the way the man's pale fingers fisted his hair and hid his eye from view when he moaned: _"I killed her."_

"Vince…"

"Jack wouldn't be able to open the Gate!" Vincent got up and grabbed his shoulders. "Not without my help! Maybe… No, he _would_ have given up on his plan. That foolish Duke doesn't know anything. Both of us, we knew Jack better than any of the Barmas. You remember too, you know Jack would never…"

"Vince, calm down!" Gilbert pulled at his brother's wrists, but Vincent only tightened his grip. "You don't…"

"Brother, hear me out!" He was too close. Gilbert could even see his lips quivering. This wasn't like him, Vincent shouldn't look so vulnerable, it reminded Gilbert too much of the past. "It can't get any worse than this! Just give it a chance, I know we can trust Jack! I…"

The carriage jumped when a front wheel hit a pebble. Vincent was sent off balance, and Gilbert caught hold of his shoulder when his brother fell on his lap. The man made haste to push Vincent off, make him sit next to him and ask if he was alright, but his little brother hung on to him. He looked flustered.

"Gil. You deserve a past without me," Vincent told him earnestly. "Please… Let me give you that much."

Gilbert was dumbstruck. Vincent's words were soft-spoken, yet Gilbert became deaf from them. It was as though they had swallowed the raging wind and clattering wheels outside. He hoped he had heard wrong. That Vincent would take them back.

"Everything you went through was my fault," Vincent went on, like he was stating a fact. "Our parents abandoned us because of my red eye. Everyone shunned us because of it. It was I who opened the Gate to the Abyss. If I was never born…"

Gilbert slammed his brother against the back of his seat.

"Is _that _how you planned to 'make me happy'?" he asked, livid. "You want to erase your own existence? Are you _crazy?_"

"I know," Vincent smiled, unconcerned about the fist clenching his collar. "I knew you would disagree. You were always so kind-hearted. Of course you would never approve of a plan that involved my death. I know you very well, brother…"

"_Then why are we having this conversation?_"

"Now, be honest," Vincent covered Gilbert's fist with his hand, and looked at him from under his eyelids. "And answer this: have you never told yourself, not even once, that you would be happier without me? Have you never wished that I would just disappear?"

Gilbert went stiff. Vincent stroked the fist at his throat with a thumb, and waited for an answer that wouldn't come. His smile widened into a grin that reduced his mismatched eyes to slits. Gilbert's fist shook. He couldn't believe this.

"…I have," Gilbert admitted, his grip tightening around his brother's collar. "Many times. Even when we were children, and I had nobody else in the world. Are you trying to tell me that I was _right?_"

Vincent tilted his head, all the better to see him in the dark.

"That's just the way you are," he said lovingly. "Too sweet and weak to admit your own cruelty. This is why I took things into my own hands."

"_Stop that!_" Gilbert slammed his brother harder against the seat, in a desperate attempt to knock some sense into him. "You don't know anything! You keep talking about Sablier. Did it ever occur to you that, for most of my life, I remembered nothing of that time? What about the years we spent together at the Nightrays'? Don't they mean anything to you?"

"They hated us," Vincent kept smiling. "And you hated this house. I kept you there because I couldn't live without you."

"It was _my_ decision to become a Nightray, and you know it!" Gilbert yelled. "You always knew that I was using you to get my hands on Raven! And yet you always supported and helped me. If it hadn't been for you and Elliot..."

There it was. The slight widening of Vincent's eyes, that lost look he had never outgrown. Gilbert had both fists at his collar now:

"I would never have made it without you! You always knew what I was planning. And whenever I asked for help, you gave it. So why can't you trust me? You should have _told_ me what you were up to! All these years, you had me worried sick. I drove myself crazy trying to figure out what was going on inside your head! And all this time, you wanted to _die?_"

The carriage did another jump, and the shock almost made him strangle Vincent. Gilbert released him immediately to check for bruises, but his little brother just stared at him in a confused daze.

"Damn you." Gilbert ran his hand through his hair restlessly. "Things are bad enough as it is. Do you think I want to lose you as well?"

They were both quiet after that. The racket from outside was back, sounding much closer and realer now that Gilbert was done venting. He couldn't hear himself panting above the storm.

"Brother."

Vincent was slumped on his seat. All energy seemed to have left him as soon as Gilbert had let him go. When Gilbert raised his head to meet his gaze, Vincent covered his red eye. A reflex engrained long ago, that made his brother sick to his stomach every time he caught Vincent in the act.

"I am going to disappear anyway."

Vincent's expression was a mere shadow of his usual smiles, twisted in pain and regret. It sent chills down Gilbert's spine.

"Your seal," the man whispered. "How far did the needle advance?"

"My…? Oh. Right. Demios. No, I wasn't referring to that."

Gilbert could have slapped his brother across the face for taking his illegal contract so lightly. Vincent froze him with a look:

"I am a Child of Misfortune."

Vincent's smirk became crooked with self-disgust when he said it. As he stared at his older brother, it seemed to soften slightly.

"It's better that way," Vincent told him. "After the chains are restored, as soon as Glen Baskerville gets all his power back, I will be sent to the lowest level of the Abyss."

Gilbert shivered.

"Did… Did he tell you that?"

"You heard him. Children of Misfortune threaten the peace of the Abyss. This is why your master sent his sister down there. If you had become the next Glen, you would have done the same for me."

There was a fierce glint in Vincent's eyes, the certitude that he deserved no better fate. The way he phrased it, it almost sounded like a favour.

"There was never any proof of that!" Gilbert protested.

He had spent the earliest years of his life telling his little brother that all that talk about misfortune was nothing but superstition. He refused to believe otherwise.

"Who knows?" Vincent said. "It doesn't really change anything. All I want is to let you start over, without me to burden you. Just let Lord Leo erase my existence. Then you wouldn't have to kill me, and there would be no Tragedy of Sablier."

"_You would still die! _And Jack would find another way! He became an illegal contractor, stabbed me in the back, and killed his best friend! Do you seriously think he would give up just like…"

"What did you say?"

Suddenly there was a fixed stare on Vincent's face. His pupils had contracted so much that his eyes seemed to glow in the dark.

"Jack stabbed _you?_"

"He used me to get to my master," Gilbert growled. "Then he forced Oz to kill him. Jack betrayed the four of us. We can't trust him, Vince."

Vincent's hands were balled into tight fists. Gilbert bit his lip, and put a hand on his little brother's forearm. He was shaking so hard that it became noticeable in spite of the carriage's jolts.

"I'm sorry," Gilbert told him. "I should have protected you back then."

Vincent didn't seem to hear him. If it weren't for his erratic breathing, Gilbert would have thought he had turned to stone. He held his tongue, deeming it safer to give his little brother some time to recover. They stayed like this for several minutes. When suddenly, a bitter laugh left Vincent's lips.

"I see," he said between snickers. "I see… But it doesn't matter. Your master will erase Jack, too. Yes. I will just take him with me. With the two of us gone, you won't have to suffer anymore."

Gilbert's fingers dug into Vincent's arm: "Are you _still…!_"

"Rather than killing us now, it would be best to prevent Jack's birth, and mine," Vincent's laughter was dying down gradually, leaving a manic expression on his face. "Since our fate is sealed, anyway…"

"It is not! Master never said he was going to kill you!"

"He will do it, brother. The only reason he didn't imprison me is because I pledged my allegiance. But as soon as this crisis is over, he will be sure to get rid of Jack and I."

Realisation hit Gilbert with the force of a slap. Suddenly he felt cold, unbearably so. His soaked undershirt weighed him down like ghostly hands. The howling outside froze him to the core.

"It can't be..." his voice was hoarse and foreign. "The reason why the Baskervilles kept Oz alive…?"

Vincent rubbed at his face. To Gilbert, it looked like an attempt to erase the grimace he wore. The younger man heaved a long sigh.

"Yes. They are going to throw him into the darkness of the Abyss, along with Jack."

"They can't… _They can't!_"

"They already tried. Twice," Vincent gave him an unblinking stare. "They couldn't send Oz deep enough with only one Black Winged Chain, however. This is why he could make it back. Even Lord Leo was bound to fail. But this time, the Baskervilles will have the five birds at their disposal."

Gilbert put a hand over his mouth, horror-struck. The Baskervilles needed the five Black Winged Chains to send Oz and Vincent to the lowest level of the Abyss, where no one could save them. They needed Raven.

_No._ He couldn't do it. His master couldn't ask that of him, _anything but that..._

"Do you see now?"

He was going to be sick. He wouldn't look at Vincent. He didn't want to hear another word from him.

"It would be better if the two of you never met," his little brother's tone was almost gentle. "If we change the past, at least my death would have a purpose."

"_Be quiet,_" Gilbert pleaded. "Don't say that. _Never_ say that again."

He didn't want to go through this ever again. He didn't want either of Oz or his brother to go through this ever again.

But what could Gilbert do if he couldn't trust himself? His own hands had betrayed him. Gilbert was among the Baskervilles' ranks from the start. Ten years ago, he had stabbed Oz. Just yesterday he had shot him. And this time, it would be his own hand dragging his young master into the Abyss.

"There is still time," Gilbert murmured frantically. "Before the four dukes are gathered..."

The carriage jolted to a stop. The rain was pattering heavily against the roof. Gilbert stood up straight.

"Break."

His brother raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Vince," Gilbert asked in a rush, afraid their driver would overhear. "You know where Break is, don't you? Take me to him."

A worried crease appeared on Vincent's forehead:

"What do you intend to do?"

"I have to talk to him."

It was the only out Gilbert could see. Ten years ago, Break had burst into his life like a mad genie out of a timeless lamp, and only by following his lead had the young boy found his way back to Oz. If Break couldn't find a solution to this mess, no one could.

Vincent's frown only deepened. Their driver opened the door for them. His top hat was low on his eyes to protect them from the pouring rain, but Gilbert recognized his square jaw and aquiline nose. It was Joseph, a servant of the Nightray household, whom Gilbert remembered as dependable, if rather forgetful. The driver was only carrying two umbrellas, which he held out to the siblings.

Gilbert thanked him profusely, told him to keep his, and ran into the night. He ignored the paved roads, and made a beeline for the side doors.

Water and mud drenched his trousers as he splashed through puddles. His long hair clung to his cheeks and temples. Gilbert shook his head to get rid of the wet strands that obstructed his vision, and realized that he had left his hat at the Nightray mansion.

It was a relief to reach the lit corridors of Pandora Headquarters, although the difference in temperature was trifling. Vincent caught up with him a few minutes later, his moves as languid as ever. He was carrying the long bundle from before. Once he had passed the door, he felt it to make sure it was packed up securely.

"As you wish," Vincent told his brother over the storm. The wind slammed the door shut behind him. "We had better hurry, then. You shouldn't keep your master waiting."

Gilbert made a point to ignore that remark, although his head and left hand still hurt. It wasn't like he intended to double-cross the Baskervilles. As soon as he had pulled the trigger, Raven's contractor had proven that he was on their side. This taken of loyalty had been enough for Glen, and therefore, enough for his subordinates. If Gilbert was a Baskerville, disobedience to the master was inconceivable.

Gilbert refused to fail Glen a second time. He wouldn't betray him. But he couldn't let Oz and Vincent die.

"Will you be fine carrying that?" he pointed at Vincent's baggage. "It looks heavy."

Vincent rubbed at his eyes to rid them of the water and hypersomnia, and took a candlestick off the wall:

"I don't mind. For now, let's pay a visit to Mr Hatter."

He was avoiding Gilbert's eyes, and the man didn't know what to make of it. The way Vincent handled the object seemed exceedingly careful, like he was holding something fragile or precious. But the young man made his way to the end of the corridor without a backwards glance, and urgency was quick to overcome Gilbert's curiosity. He darted ahead of his brother, keeping an ear out for Vincent's concise directions.

Gilbert's steps were quick and unsteady as he descended the stone stairs to Pandora's dungeons; they sounded booming next to the pitiful clinking of the breaking chains. Their echo was a welcome distraction. He could only see four stairs ahead in the faint glow of Vincent's candlestick, but after ten years at Pandora's orders, the man had long since gotten used to the darkness. Besides, from the information his brother was giving him, Gilbert could guess where they were headed.

Even as a Pandora agent, he had hardly ever had to go so deep underground; interrogation had never been his line of expertise. Gilbert had only heard of the place where the most dangerous illegal contractors were held. Their Chains, of course, had to be restrained with sealing stones and pentacles. In this part of the dungeon, however, the contractors were deemed as dangerous as the monsters they summoned. Rather than ropes, Pandora used iron cuffs to keep them in line.

The only ones allowed to visit these high security prisoners were the four great dukes and their closest representatives. In other words, the doors to these cells could only be unlocked by one of their four Black Winged Chains.

Gilbert stopped short. Vincent's heels clicked behind him as he, too, came to a halt. Familiar snickering drifted to their ears.

"You came!" a high-pitched voice cackled in the dark. "Master Glen knew you would come! You are such a naughty boy, Gilbert."

Before he could say anything, the Baskerville came out of the shadows, her usual grin cutting her young face in two. She had taken off her hood.

"What is it?" Echo's face sneered at Gilbert. "Were you expecting someone else?"

"Good evening, Zwei," Vincent said. Out of the corner of his eye, Gilbert saw him put his baggage against the wall cautiously, and step in front of it. "How nice of you to wait for us."

The girl bounced past Gilbert to throw her arms around Vincent. Her smile made her flushed cheeks and pimples very apparent by candlelight, in stark contrast to her former expression.

"I take it the invasion was a success, then?" Vincent put his free arm around Zwei's shoulders, keeping one eye on his brother. Zwei nodded:

"You should have come, Vincent! I had fun with this guy," she tilted her head towards the door she had been guarding. "Did you come to torture him? Can I join in?"

"Maybe another time," Vincent smiled at Gilbert's sharp intake of breath, and lifted his forefinger from the candlestick in a silent sign to be quiet. "I will let Gil do the honours."

Zwei turned into Vincent's one-armed embrace to smirk at Gilbert:

"Ooh, Master Glen won't like that," she giggled. "You will be late for the gathering! And then we will all sink into the Abyss!"

"We are still one duke short, however," Vincent pointed out. "Or am I wrong?"

"That's true," Zwei was grinning from ear to ear, and eying Gilbert greedily. "Zai Vessalius hasn't come back yet."

Gilbert's hair stood up at the back of his neck. Zai_._ Of course. As fellow contractors of Black Winged Chains, they would have to fix the chains together. And after all this was over, that man would come back for Oz.

"By the way, Gilbert," Zwei tittered. "He sends his thanks. For shooting his son."

"_Out!_" Gilbert's yell resonated in the dark corridor until the stones themselves cried out in protest. "Both of you. Leave us alone!"

"Very well," Vincent stopped pinching a laughing Zwei to pluck a candle. He held it out to his brother. "Why don't you go see whether Duke Vessalius has come back, Zwei? I will relieve you."

"I want to stay with you," the young girl pouted. "You're going to fall asleep if I leave."

"You have a point," Vincent chuckled. "It can't be helped, then. Well, brother, try to be quick about it. Zwei, hold this for me."

Vincent handed his candlestick to Zwei, and retrieved the bundle.

"What's that?" Zwei peered at the object curiously.

"Just a little gift for my dear brother," Vincent pulled the chipper girl away by the shoulder.

When Gilbert turned back to the door, he realized that his fingers were clenching the candle so tightly the wax was starting to sink in. The man breathed deeply, and tried to focus on the task at hand.

The heavy iron door and its lone square, tiny window glared down at him. At first glance, it looked like a door like any other in this dark and dusty prison. But upon closer inspection, Gilbert could make out the marks of a seal. The door itself was an illusion. Gilbert followed the pattern with his fingers, the magic ticklish against his gloves. The Raven was responding, and its contractor was quick to find the centre of the pentacle. He took his left glove off with his teeth, and laid his bare hand flat against the centre. When he removed it, he was holding a black feather.

Gilbert held it before him like a second light, and let it guide him through the labyrinth beyond the barrier. The Raven was flying to the contractor of Mad Hatter.

When Gilbert found him, the feather slipped from his fingers and drifted to the floor soundlessly. With every blink, Gilbert saw more golden rain. The drops and candle flame illuminated the prisoner faintly; he looked almost transparent in their light.

Break had been stripped of his coat, and hung to the wall by the wrists like a puppet by its strings. He was just as motionless. He hadn't even stirred when Gilbert had opened the barred door to his cramped cell, or when the servant's step had resounded between the four walls. Frail looking limbs and a bloody hand flickered in the dim light. If it weren't for the white hair, Gilbert might not have recognized him.

"Break…?"

Gilbert's voice sounded pathetically weak in the empty room. There was little air. He didn't even hear an echo. Break was as lifeless as ever.

"Break!"

Gilbert took a staggering step forward, his cries frantic this time. The candlelight shimmered. Its flame threatened to disappear with every wild movement Gilbert made. He didn't notice. Break had to wake up. If he died, his last hope would be lost.

"Stop shouting like that."

The icy voice came out of nowhere. Gilbert froze immediately, and stared hard at Break's lips. The prisoner hadn't moved. Gilbert was afraid it had been another hallucination.

"Thank you. This should make it easier for the both of us."

Gilbert breathed a shaky sigh of relief. Or maybe it was exasperation; maybe worry. These were all he could feel around Break lately. Their current situation made it a thousand times worse.

"I'm sorry," Gilbert blurted out, the candle shaking in his hand. There were so many things to apologize for. He had no idea where to start. "I can't break you out..."

There was a short silence. Break hadn't moved from his position. When he parted his lips to speak again, Gilbert could only make out their shifting shadow in the dark.

"Don't bother," Break sneered. "They won't make it in time anyway. This little game was over before it started."

The biting statement confused him at first. Broken chains were falling weightlessly on their shoulders, entrancing and dismal. Gilbert wondered if Break's blind eye could see them. Or maybe the prisoner had heard of those breaking chains, and what they meant. Maybe from Zwei?

If that was the case, she had been taunting Break. Gilbert clenched a fist around his removed glove. He was certain that she hadn't told him everything.

"It might not be too late," Gilbert said. "The Baskervilles have the power to stop the destruction of the world. We might not be able to save everyone, but…"

"How sweet," Break scathed him. "You know you don't stand a chance. Why don't you just sit back and enjoy the show?"

"I can't! I have to do something or..."

Gilbert gritted his teeth, more out of self-loathing than any real ill feelings towards Break. He knew he deserved these stabbing words, and worse. But there was no time for doubt or regrets. There were lives at stake.

"You probably don't trust me anymore, but I had to come," Gilbert tried to explain, even though words were starting to fail him already. "If this goes on… Even if we succeed, Oz is going to die! Vincent too! The Baskervilles want to send them both into the Abyss! Please, Break, I need your help..."

Another silence, then Break's smirk reappeared. It looked strained and painful.

"I would appreciate it if you would stop crawling like that. Frankly, it's disgusting to watch." The man's voice dropped an octave. "It just makes me want to kill you even more."

"Break, _listen_ to me!" Gilbert pleaded, ignoring the insult. "I know I betrayed you and Oz, but I… I might still be able to help you. I promise I'll get you out of here, but first I need you to tell me what happened to the others! I know you must have a plan, you wouldn't give up so easily!"

Break raised his head at that. Gilbert wouldn't have been able to tell, if it weren't for the red eye peeking behind his light fringe. Blind as it may be, it seemed to pierce right through him.

"How many…" Break asked in a hoarse voice. "How many people do you think I've killed?"

Gilbert was taken aback. But Break didn't wait for an answer.

"And how many died because of me?"

Gilbert's frame shook with unease. His drenched coat felt even colder down here. Black dry-stone walls were closing in on him. They absorbed all the heat and air like silent leeches. Even the echo of their words seemed trapped in the cramped space.

Gilbert suddenly wondered if the prisoner had heard anything he had said.

"Break…?"

"_Why is it never enough?_"

Gilbert jumped.

The candle slipped out of his grasp, and was sent rolling on the floor. Its dying flame cast distorted shadows on the walls. Break started struggling against his restrains wildly. The candle hit the bottom of the wall the prisoner was pinned to. The long shadows made his limbs look like dislocated puppet sticks. With every clanging of the chains against the prison wall, Break's shouts got louder:

"That Will of the Abyss... How many more sacrifices does she _want?_ I don't have the _time…!_"

"Break, stop it!" Gilbert rushed to hold his wrists in place, lest the man hurt himself. "Calm down!"

The candle flame died. Pieces of chains gleamed in the darkness. They fell like a surreal curtain as Break strove to free himself.

"_Don't touch me!_ Hurry up and kill him, Albus! There is no time left!"

"What's wrong with you?" Gilbert was yelling louder than him, holding strong against the man's relentless shoves. "Who are you talking…"

Break's wide red eye glared at him, but the man didn't seem to hear a word:

"I have come this far… I can't stop now! I need to change the past! _Master…!_"

Gilbert's breath caught in his throat. The prisoner's screams had gone incoherent. Gilbert tried to call his name, and struggled to hold him in place. From up close, he could see the thick sweat on Break's forehead, the mad look in his eye. How impossibly hot his skin felt in this icy cell.

"You are burning up," Gilbert whispered dreadfully. "You have a fever."

Break broke into a coughing fit. Gilbert smelt blood.

"Bring them back…" the man hacked. "Master… Wait… Emi…ly..."

He had stopped fighting. Gilbert held him up against the wall as best as he could, afraid the handcuffs were putting too great a strain on the visibly sick man. Break's eye rolled back in its socket. The white was bloodshot.

"Hold on, Break…" Gilbert urged him, hoping his voice didn't sound as terrified as he felt. "You have to remember. You're not Kevin Regnard anymore. The Sinclairs are already…"

"Sharon."

Gilbert went quiet. He wiped the sweat off Break's forehead in an attempt to help and soothe him.

"Where is Miss Sharon?" Break wheezed, his blind eye looking all over the dark room like a lost marble.

"I don't know," he stared at Break anxiously. "Vincent didn't mention her, she must have gotten away. Break, do you know where you are?"

The red eye rolled some more, and fell shut.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Out of the blue, Break's pale lips twisted into a wicked smile. "Hello, little Gilbert."

Gilbert gulped. Even if the man seemed to recognize him, he didn't feel reassured in the least.

"Yes, it's me," he said carefully. "Break, you look terrible…"

"Still looking for your young master?" the prisoner snickered, startling Gilbert. "I heard the _funniest_ story about him..."

The look he gave him was impossible to read. Break's eye was sunken and piercing like a fire in a cave. Some golden dust clung to his eyelashes. His cheeks were a feverish red.

"Two poor lost little rabbits stick together," the prisoner sing-sang. "One has been dead for a century. The other is a Chain. Two Blood-Stained Black Rabbits."

Gilbert's eyes widened:

"Alice. Where is she now?"

"Oh, you are going to love this," Break smirked bitterly. "Oz rejected her."

For several seconds Gilbert stared at Break uncomprehendingly. The prisoner's breathing came out uneven. It seemed to take considerable effort for him to keep his head straight. Yet his glare was relentless.

"That's impossible," Gilbert said.

"And you know what's _really_ funny?" Break seemed to have more and more trouble breathing. "The seal on his chest didn't disappear. In fact, the needle advanced right after he rejected Alice. Tic-Toc. Then he passed out."

"_What's wrong with you?_" Gilbert took Break by the shoulders in a fit of panic. "How can you laugh in a situation like…"

"I wonder what time it is?" Break was looking up at the ceiling unseeingly. "Let me check on your seal, Oz… At this rate, you will miss the grand finale. Do you think you will see the world crumble from the Abyss? That must be a sight to behold."

Gilbert pursed his lips. Break couldn't hear him anymore. He didn't dare interrupt.

"Then again, even if your seal holds on, you will be cast into the Abyss anyway," the prisoner sighed. "Speaking of which… Gilbert, would you be so kind as to finish me off? I'd rather not be sent to another dimension with that sewer rat. I'm sure Oz will understand."

"You… _what?_ What are you talking about…"

"I guess that explains why your little friends didn't just break my blood mirror," Break frowned. His skin felt clammy under Gilbert's hand. "It's better to send me directly to hell along with Mad Hatter. All four red-eyed hindrances in one go. Very clean."

Realization froze Gilbert to the spot.

"You're delirious," he said. He couldn't keep his voice from trembling. "They can't do this. Damn it, _not you too!_"

"My head does feel a bit fuzzy."

As if on cue, Break's head lolled on his shoulder, like the string holding it had just broken.

"_Don't fall asleep!_" Gilbert held Break's cheek in a shaking hand. "I'll get someone, please hang on…"

"I couldn't protect you either… Oz. Forgive me," came the prisoner's thick voice. "Emily… Alice… for your…wish..."

Break had gone back to murmuring nonsensical words. His whole body was shivering. Gilbert was scared of leaving him like that, but he couldn't figure out what was wrong with his fellow contractor. He was even more afraid of leaving Break after the few revelations he had gotten out of the prisoner.

But given Break's current state, how many of them could Gilbert accept as facts, and not a part of the man's delirium?

Gilbert loosened Break's collar with shaking fingers, pulled a handkerchief from his front pocket, and used it to wipe most of the sweat off the prisoner's face. He flinched when he moved a wet bang off Break's forehead. The glassy red eye and empty socket glared back at him.

That much was true. Not only was Break a Child of Misfortune, but Mad Hatter was one of the only Chains in existence that could kill the Baskervilles. Just like B-Rabbit. Yet the Baskervilles had let them live.

Vincent was right. Glen Baskerville intended to sacrifice them all to the Abyss.

"I will find another way," Gilbert stuttered. "I will get you out of here, I promise."

He owed Break that much, and he couldn't stand to see him like this. The man appeared so unnervingly fragile that Gilbert was afraid he might sink into the wall.

Gilbert crouched down, and felt for the black feather that would let him out. His extinguished candle had long disappeared in the darkness of the prison cell, so Gilbert just let his left hand wander on the stone floor. His fingers closed around the feather automatically.

With a last apology to Break's slumped form, Gilbert fled the room. As he raced through the labyrinth, he had to rely on the faint glow of the breaking chains not to bump into walls. He heard Zwei's humming before he even saw the light of the candlestick she was holding. He found Vincent slumbering against the wall with the young girl on his lap.

"Vince! Quick, Break needs help!"

Vincent opened his eyes, and greeted him with a yawn. Gilbert didn't even bother to help him up, and made haste to describe Break's symptoms. Back at the Nightray manor, whenever Gilbert fell sick, his little brother had always taken care of him. He would know what to do.

Halfway through Gilbert's explanations, Zwei gave an excited cry of recognition. Vincent blinked back the sleepiness, and held a pensive finger to his chin:

"Oh? So that's where it went."

"What?"

"Poison," Vincent clarified. "Before I came to fetch you at the Nightray house, I noticed that a drug was missing from my collection."

Gilbert took a step back.

"Break was poisoned? But who… _why?_"

"It wasn't me."

One of the candle flames went out in a thin curl of smoke. The darkness seemed to be closing in on them, along with the collapsing otherworldly chains. Gilbert felt claustrophobic in the faint circle of the candlelight. Without moving from his position, crossed-legged on the dirty floor, Vincent glanced down at Zwei:

"You didn't happen to borrow from my collection without permission, did you?"

Zwei looked up at the two brothers with a grin, her teeth pearly white in the dark, and shook her head. But that question was the least of Gilbert's concerns:

"Vincent, that poison…"

"It's not lethal," Vincent waved his worries off. "It is a painful hallucinogen that usually causes the victim to lose all contact with reality for several hours. From the description you gave, Mister Hatter was administered a strong dose. Possibly the full bottle."

"What about the antidote?"

"I left it at the manor," Vincent said apologetically. "I should have figured that I would need it, but I was worried about you. I am afraid I wasn't thinking straight. Zwei, are you sure you don't know anything about this?"

The girl kept shaking her head and snuggling deeper against Vincent, her gleeful smirk unwavering in spite of the man's severe expression.

"Why would anyone poison him?" Gilbert's voice was still shaking from the sorry state he had found Break in. "He was already imprisoned… _What's going on here?_"

"It is rather strange," Vincent nodded. "Zwei, if you have no answer to give, I will have to ask Echo."

The girl's smile vanished. Gilbert's ears perked up:

"Echo?" he asked hopefully. "She's still here?"

"But she doesn't know anything!" Zwei slammed the candlestick to the ground in a fountain of fire and molten wax, extinguishing three flames out of the remaining four. She turned round to face Vincent, her voice rising in protest: "She's completely useless!"

Vincent put a hand on her head, and hushed her softly:

"It doesn't hurt to ask, does it? Now move aside."

Zwei clenched her teeth. She was clenching Vincent's robe so tightly her knuckles were turning white. Her cheeks flushed a deep red as the man stroked her hair.

"I don't want to go," she pouted. "I want to see the gathering. Master Glen told me to stay here..."

She trailed off when Vincent kissed her forehead:

"But unlike Echo, you would do anything I asked of you, wouldn't you?"

It was certainly a trick of the light, but for a second Zwei's eyes seemed to shine with repressed tears. She closed them tightly, and inclined her head in a slow nod.

Gilbert held his breath. After several seconds of heavy silence, the young girl raised her hand. There was a spark when the sole remaining candlelight hit jewellery; the silver ring that held back a strand of hair at her right temple. She removed it sharply.

"Echo?" Gilbert called gently.

White bangs hid her eyes from view, and her shoulders were shaking under the Baskerville's cloak. The young girl wouldn't look at either of them. At long last, without lifting her head, she answered in her usual toneless voice:

"Noise told the truth. I don't know who took the poison."

"Oh well, it was worth a try," Vincent sighed, and pushed her off his lap.

Echo stood up immediately, and pulled her coat-tails away from the candle flame in a swift sweeping motion. She was still refusing to look at Gilbert. Vincent picked up the candlestick, and leant on the wall to get to his feet. The light wavered after him.

"What do we do now, brother?"

Gilbert looked back at the labyrinth he had left Break in. It was pitch black save for the occasional golden drop. The man clenched Raven's feather in his fingers. If someone had taken Break's situation as an opportunity to poison him...

"I have to check on Oz!"

A small hand clasped his forearm. When he looked down, Gilbert met Echo's steady gaze. With her wide grey eyes, she appeared incredibly young in the Baskerville's cloak. The incongruity of it dispelled some of the man's panic. It was the very first time he saw fear on her face.

She shook her head once.

"You know we don't have much time, brother," Vincent stepped up to them, and glared warningly at Echo. "Zai Vessalius will be here any minute now."

"_Exactly,_" Gilbert told him in a firm voice, though he could still feel his arm trembling under Echo's grip. "Why would anyone poison Break at a time like this? There's something wrong, Vince! I have to make sure Oz is alright, and warn my master!"

"In that case, Master Gilbert," Echo said, her eyes burning into his. "Would you allow me to keep your pistols for you?"

Gilbert gasped. Echo's gaze was clear and unwavering, and still her face was white. He could see his own worry reflected in those eyes. Suddenly Gilbert remembered her distress from the day before, when Oz had been shot. When _he_ had shot Oz.

"No…" Gilbert shuddered. "That's not enough. I can't see Oz like this..."

But he had to. Gilbert had to confirm how much of what Break had told him was the truth. And there was the threat of the poisoner. He couldn't leave Oz alone.

"Brother," Vincent put a hand on his shoulder. "Is this worth trying your master's patience?"

The gloved hand was heavy with weariness. Something about Vincent's jaded tone lit a spark of inspiration. Gilbert turned round.

"Vince," he whispered. "The Dormouse. Would its power work on a Baskerville?"

Vincent's hand stilled.

"Yes," he answered. "I experimented on Zwei in the past."

Gilbert took a sharp breath. He decided to leave the scolding on Vincent's relationship with both Zwei and Echo for later. The immediate situation called for drastic measures. He stared intently into Vincent's mismatched eyes:

"Then come with me. I'll leave my pistols with Echo, but when I see Oz, I'm not sure how I will react. If you think I'm about to hurt him, put me to sleep immediately."

Echo let go of his arm. Vincent lowered his gaze to look at the dying flame on the candlestick. It made the rings under his eyes more apparent. His reluctance was manifest.

"Please, Vince," Gilbert insisted. "I have to find out what's going on. It's not just about Oz… This might be my only chance to save you and Break."

Vincent took a shaky inspiration. The candlestick changed hands. Then the contractor took his left glove off listlessly, one finger at a time.

"You don't need to justify yourself, Gil," he said. "I would do anything for you."

Gilbert bent his head to remove his holsters, and to hide his embarrassment. He really needed to have a long talk about co-dependency with his brother after all this. Right now, he had to make sure there would be an after.

"Echo, would you look after Break?" Gilbert asked as he handed his weapons to the young servant. "Make sure he doesn't hurt himself..."

Echo nodded. Gilbert gave her Raven's feather, and briefly explained to her how to use it. As soon as he was done, she told them the location of Oz's cell in one breath. After a short bow, the young girl turned on her heels, and disappeared into the black maze, leaving a faint trail of twinkling drops on her wake.

In the meantime, the mysterious bundle had found its way back under Vincent's arm. Gilbert barely took notice. He put his left glove back on as he ran through the golden rain, and climbed the first set of stone stairs four at a time.

Vincent followed close on his heels. The race put out the remaining candle flame. Darkness flecked with gold fell on them. There was a clanging noise when Vincent discarded the useless candlestick. Gilbert made sure he could still hear his little brother's steps right behind him, and made a V-turn to the right.

They had just reached the foot of Pandora's West Wing tower, and had run into a winding corridor. Unlike the one they had just left, it was faintly lit. That made it easier for Gilbert to ignore the breaking chains, and focus on the growing light ahead. He had to bite back the urge to call for Oz. The image of the boy's broken body in the rain was still fresh in his mind. His guilt and apprehension only made him run faster.

Oz was alive. Vincent wouldn't lie about this. But Gilbert had to see him. Somewhere in Pandora Headquarters, there was a poisoner, whose motives were unknown. Oz was alone and defenceless.

The corridor opened onto a small, square room. Gilbert froze in his tracks.

Oz was here, huddled up on the floor behind iron bars with his hands tied behind his back. His eyes were glazed, and his white undershirt was stained an angry red where Gilbert had shot him. In front of the boy, wan like the deathless man he was channelling, stood the young vessel of Glen Baskerville.

He turned slowly to face Gilbert, showing no sign of surprise or reproach. Yet his ageless stare seemed to pin the servant down.

Gilbert's eyes darted to Oz. He saw his terror mirrored on the boy's face; sickly pale, desperate, and so vulnerable Gilbert wanted to scream. He felt his master's eyes boring into him, the incontrollable pull in his left hand.

The servant heard Glen take a breath. He wanted to cover his ears, but his body wouldn't move.

When suddenly, Gilbert felt gloveless fingers sink into his hair, and heard the faint swelling sound of a plump Chain materialising above his head. The bowed tip of the Dormouse's tail hovered close to his ear.

"Lord Glen Baskerville," Vincent said respectfully. "Give my brother an order of any kind, and I shall put him to sleep."

Glen furrowed his brow. His wistful gaze seemed to embrace both siblings, heavy with regret and compassion. The ghost's presence was pouring from Leo's very being, spreading like wings until it filled the room. The red cloak he was draped in made the vessel look unnervingly imposing. The sight of the small prisoner at his feet made it nigh unbearable.

Gilbert didn't dare move a muscle. Over Leo's shoulder, he could see Oz's eyes moving from one captor to the other, and get brighter as the boy processed the situation.

Glen sighed:

"We don't have the time for this…"

"Gil!" Oz interrupted. Gilbert flinched when the boy crawled to get closer, regardless of his wound. Vincent held him in place. "Please… Save Alice!"

"Oz, I…!"

"_Don't,_" Oz hissed, urgency and pain clouding his gaze. "You don't owe me anything. Please… This is the last thing I'll ask of you: save Alice."

Gilbert wanted to protest, but his master beat him to it. The servant recognized Glen's resigned tone from the previous evening. The ghost's stentorian voice made him shiver:

"Alice is dead."

The words were truthful rather than harsh. There was no resentment in Glen's eyes when he looked down at Oz. Only patience and pity. The boy looked at him with distress, and screwed his eyes shut.

"_I know!_" he was doubled-over on the floor, gasping in fast, desperate cries. "She died because of me. To stop Jack. Then, Alice… Her soul came back for me… She..."

Oz had to swallow a shuddering breath before he could continue:

"…She took my powers so I couldn't destroy anything anymore. She became a Chain… because of me..."

Gilbert stared at Oz's shaking hunched form, flabbergasted. Break's words rang in his ears. _"One has been dead for a century. The other is a Chain." _Gilbert's heart was beating erratically, in synch with the mad pulse in his left hand._ "Two Blood-Stained Black Rabbits."_ If it was true, did it mean that Alice still had the power to…?

Oz raised his head to look at them through the bars. His expression was so heartbroken and determined the servant felt it like a punch to the gut.

"This is why I broke the contract," Oz said. "So Alice could be herself again, rather than B-Rabbit. She is no longer a threat to you. I'm the only one who can break the chains. I beg of you…" he was talking to the three of them, but his eyes were looking straight at Gilbert: "Save her_._"

Gilbert could only stare helplessly. He had no idea what to say, or if there was even a way to bring Alice back.

It struck him how quiet his master was. Gilbert glanced sideways at Glen.

The ghost stared at Oz in silence. He seemed to have forgotten everything, from the two siblings who had burst into the room, to the breaking chains all around him. Leo's bangs were casting shadows into his eyes. They wavered in front of the dilemma. For a moment, they looked like Oswald's, on that fateful day in Sablier, when Jack had told him to lower his sword.

When suddenly, Oz's upper body hit the floor with a faint thud. Gilbert took a step forward, but the Dormouse was looming overhead. Its stitched eyes stared right at him, like a reminder of the bullet wound that had reduced Oz to this state. Gilbert didn't dare go further.

Looking back at Oz, for the first time, Gilbert noticed the four sealing stones and pentacle inside the cell. Their sharp edges caged the boy more efficiently than any metal or injury could.

The hard floor scraped Oz's cheek when the boy turned his head to face them.

"Please… Use the pocket watch," Oz panted, and tilted his chin towards the thin chain dangling from Leo's left pocket. "Alice will recognize the melody. She will come to you."

For a long minute, there was nothing but the clinking of the chains, and Oz's heavy breathing and occasional pleas to fill the silence. Gilbert wanted nothing more than to reach out, wrap the quavering boy in his coat, and take him away from here. He thought he could smell the blood from where he stood, a tangible reminder of his betrayal. The metallic smell was turning his stomach. Its essence weighed down on Gilbert, and kept him rooted to the spot.

At last Glen spoke in a deep, strained voice:

"I will… consider it."

"I will!" Gilbert interjected. "I will do it!"

Glen turned to him with a sweeping of his cape. This time, Gilbert held his gaze. The young vessel had a noble bearing, his every movement filled with purpose. Yet his face was full of doubt. It was creased with a hundred years' worth of mourning.

Gilbert understood. As leader of the Baskervilles, Glen couldn't choose to spare such a dangerous Chain so easily. Not without any proof that she was no longer a Chain. Regardless, Alice was his treasured niece. Furthermore, she was Oz's friend. They shouldn't hesitate.

"I will save Alice," Gilbert repeated. "So..."

He couldn't help but look back at Oz. The servant thought he saw a spark on the boy's eyes. A fragile hope, like a candle in a storm. Oz mouthed "thank you." The gleam was gone in the blink of an eye.

Gilbert was paralyzed. He was dying to say something, _anything _to bring some life back into Oz. But no apology could ever convey his regrets, the extent of his shame and self-loathing. No apology would change a thing. Whatever Gilbert did, he would always be a traitor.

In the end, only three words made it out of his lips:

"Wait for me."

Oz gave no reaction. His head had sled close to one of the sealing stones. He just lay there with his golden hair sprawled around, his eyes taking in Gilbert's face like he was seeing it for the last time.

"We should go," Glen said softly.

Gilbert called out Oz's name. Glen seized his servant's arm, and pulled him away. Vincent's fingers dug into his other arm in warning. Gilbert didn't break eye contact with Oz until they pulled him through the corridor, and the young prisoner disappeared from view.

The Dormouse vanished in the same moment. Vincent let go of his brother's head.

"Actually, my lord," he said over Gilbert's cries. "There was a small matter my brother wished to tell you about."

The offhand remark made Gilbert gasp. How could he have forgotten…

"The poison!" Gilbert turned terrified eyes towards his master. "We can't leave Oz like this! Someone poisoned Break, we have to…"

The possessed boy glanced at them without slowing down, his long cape flapping about his back as he ran. Vincent did most of the explanation, as Gilbert was too agitated to be coherent. Besides, his little brother knew more about poisoning and plotting than he did.

Glen's gaze turned sombre:

"There is no time to investigate."

They came upon two red-cloaked figures guarding a grand wooden door. As soon as they saw their master approaching, they moved as one to open the door for him. The outside wind filled Glen's cape like blood red wings, and seemed to amplify his next words:

"We have to put a stop to the breaking of the chains now, or it will be too late."

"But what if Oz gets poisoned?"

"Are you still fretting over that thing?"

The voice alone was enough to freeze Gilbert's blood in his veins. Before he knew it, they were back outside, their boots sinking deep into the wet grass, face to face with Zai Vessalius. The Griffon's contractor sneered at the servant:

"And here I thought you had finally opened your eyes to the truth. You were there both times the little abomination nearly destroyed the world, weren't you?"

"_You…_" Gilbert growled. "How _dare_ you…!"

He felt a small hand rest on his forearm. Glen's deep voice enveloped him from behind like a nocturnal fog. Its overpowering influence was unclenching Gilbert's fists, leaving him lost and harmless in front of his sworn enemy.

"It is meaningless to blame a Chain for what its contractor orders it to do," Glen looked at Zai steadily. "And this isn't about the Black Rabbit. Our priority is to restore the balance of this world."

Leo's features softened when Glen glanced up at Gilbert:

"I will send Charlotte to look after Oz."

Zai snorted. Gilbert threw his master a fleeting grateful glance, and his eyes turned saucer wide. Next to Charlotte Baskerville, whom Glen was now addressing, stood the Duke Barma. The latter was pushing the wheelchair of a very unharmed Sheryl Rainsworth.

"Madam Duchess!" Gilbert exclaimed. "Are you alright? Sharon said you were…"

"It looks like Duke Barma took us for fools, Master Glen," Charlotte scowled at the aforementioned duke. "His supposed 'attack' on the duchess was nothing but an illusion."

Her remark didn't seem to faze the duke in the slightest. He was busy studying the golden rain with unsuppressed excitement, and didn't even spare the young woman a glance when he answered:

"Is this reproach I hear?" He shrugged. "I honoured my commitments. Not only did I give you the Rainsworths' key as promised, I even went through the trouble of revealing my precious information about my ancestor's notes _and_ explaining the whole truth about the Tragedy of Sablier to the Pandora staff. Furthermore, I was helpful enough to participate to this most tedious…"

A paper fan slapped him across the face, effectively cutting his ranting short.

"I wanted to uncover the truth as much as you did, Ruf, but you went a little far," the Duchess gave a tight-lipped smile. "We both own my granddaughter an apology."

Gilbert looked from one to the other. He tried to read the duchess in particular, but her wrinkled face was ever frozen in her perpetual smile. It was impossible to guess what was on her mind. But she couldn't ignore the fact that Break had been captured, nor that the Baskervilles and their allied illegal contractors were tracking Sharon.

"I would also like to make one thing perfectly clear, Lord Baskerville," she turned her pleasant smile towards Glen. "I will be lending you the power of the Owl for this task alone. The fates of my servant, Oz Vessalius, and Lord Nightray here present, are another matter entirely."

Gilbert's heart skipped a beat, then swelled with hope. Since Leo had barely had time to get used to the Jabberwocky's power, his body wouldn't be able to handle a contract with the remaining four Black Winged Chains for years to come. With things being as they were, no one could be sent to the deepest level of the Abyss unless the four Great Dukes and Glen Baskerville all agreed on it. And it sounded like the duchess, at least, would be against it.

Charlotte Baskerville glared at the duchess, but Glen simply inclined his head in acknowledgment. The young woman bit back her disapproval, and with a bow to her master, she was gone.

Gilbert promised himself to go over and talk to Glen as soon as their current mission would be over. Back in Sablier, his master had had no time to think of one, but there had to be a way to free Oz of Jack's influence without killing him. Gilbert also needed to convince him to reconsider the beliefs surrounding Children of Misfortune.

Glen had walked to the centre of their circle. Bathed in golden light in the hour before dawn, the possessed boy looked like he had stepped right out of the Abyss. He glanced up at the sky, and for a second Leo's eyes looked like twin doors to the universe. Now more than ever, Gilbert felt the overwhelming power that bound him to this being. It was exhilarating and terrifying all at once.

"This situation is different from Sablier," Glen's voice seemed to come from all around them rather than Leo's body, vibrating along the breaking chains. "With one contractor for each Black Winged Chain, it becomes possible to control them all at the same time. We are going to stop the breaking of the chains that hold this world. But after that, I want each of you to guide your Chains as they recreate the chains that the Black Rabbit already destroyed. If we succeed, even the epicentre might be saved."

Gilbert's hand flew to his chest, where the blood mirror was heating against his racing heart. They might be able to prevent another Tragedy after all. He hadn't dared to hope for that much.

But then, if anyone could pull it off, it was his master. All traces of doubt had vanished from Leo's features, and Glen was entirely taken up by the current crisis. He pulled the watch out of his pocket, and held it out for all to see.

"In order to control them at such a distance, please hold on to your entrusted key. On my signal, open the doors, and summon your Chains."

Gilbert looked around him. Duke Barma and Duchess Rainsworth were holding matching earrings in their outstretched hands. While Gilbert's attention was distracted, Zai Vessalius had assembled a square three-footed device.

"That's Lord Oscar's camera!" Gilbert exclaimed, outraged.

"This is the Vessalius' key," Zai retorted with an indulgent smirk. "In these times of crisis, it belongs to the contractor of the Griffon."

"You stole it," Gilbert growled. "Lord Oscar would never have parted with it! What did you do to him?"

"Will you stop this squeamishness, young Nightray?" came Duke Barma's shrewish voice. "You have duties to fulfil."

Only then, still half seething from Zai's impudence, did Gilbert notice Vincent's presence next to him. His little brother had unwrapped the long bundle he had been carrying all evening. He held it out to Gilbert with both hands, like an offering. Golden drops fell on a long, evening black blade, and the curved shape of its dark hilt.

"This is yours."

Gilbert's throat felt constricted. He couldn't breathe.

"But… this is…!"

"The Nightrays' key," Vincent told him with a bitter smile. "One of the many burdens that our dear father let Elliot carry in his stead."

Gilbert could hear Duke Barma clearing his throat behind him. He took the hilt in a shaking hand, and lifted the blade vertically. The black metal reflected the broken chains in a cold glimmer.

Elliot's sword. It was heavier than he expected, with the ease his adopted brother used to show whenever he drew the weapon. Gilbert could still see the teenager holding it to his chest like a faithful companion.

"_This sword has been entrusted to me by my father as a symbol of my place in the Nightray household. That's why I have to carry it with me all the time."_

Gilbert's eyes stung. He turned his head away from Vincent, and met Glen's even stare through the rain of broken chains.

"Are you alright?" the possessed boy asked.

It was hard to answer straight away. Gilbert saw the bottomless compassion in Glen's haunted eyes, how tightly Leo's long fingers were clenching the pocket watch. This tiny object was the sole memento Oswald had of his past friendship with Jack, and of his long lost sister. To be sure, the Baskervilles' key held its fair share of memories, for master and servant alike. Gilbert thought of Oz, and shut his eyes tightly.

This watch had turned Oz's world upside down. Jack had used this very object to transcend time and get to him, so he could use Oz again to destroy the world. It was up to the Baskervilles to reverse it, using this very watch.

Gilbert took off his left glove, and presented arm:

"Yes, master."

Glen smiled. With a flick of Leo's finger, he opened the pocket watch.

The first notes of "Lacie" drifted along with the black feathers. Next came the cries of the giant birds. A pair of wings spread behind each contractor, swallowing the lit night in an ocean of darkness. Gilbert felt the heat of Raven's blue flames burning at his back, and in his deepest being. He thought he heard the heart of all five birds beat as one, each pulse shaking him to the core. The servant brandished the sword.

With a raise of the contractors' arms, all five Black Winged Chains took flight.

It felt like a storm had started in the creatures' wake. The golden flakes went flying in a wild dance all around their contractors. Long after the birds had disappeared in the night sky, and the wind from their take off had been brought down, the lights kept twirling madly. They were clinking together, twinkling and chinking in a chorus of light and sound.

The sword heated in Gilbert's gloved hand. He felt the drain of his contract with renewed intensity, the blood mirror red hot against his naked skin. The man held on to the sword like an anchor in the storm, and kept it pointed straight at the sky, towards the eye of the cyclone.

He could hear Zai's deep throaty breathing close by, and gritted his teeth. It made Gilbert sick to feel a connection of any kind with that man. Yet all five contractors were breathing the same stormy air, reaching for the heavens, with the hearts of their Chains beating in synch against their chests.

Far above, the giant birds swooped down on the swirling lights, and disappeared. The sword quaked in Gilbert's hand, but the contractor held strong. The smell of drenched feathers and fire was everywhere, and fiery dots invaded the man's vision.

Gilbert felt the pull as the Griffon soared through the sky, dragging a set of golden chains with its talons. He heard a sharp intake from the duchess when the Owl separated the chains with a flap of its wings, and sent them swirling in all directions. Gilbert hunched his shoulders, and the Raven's flames lit the night sky a bright blue.

The Dodo was flying in circles above the three birds. Its long wings were throwing golden drops into the furnace. With each flapping of its wings, Duke Barma's fingers tightened around the back of the duchess' wheelchair, but the man kept his head held high, enraptured by the sight above.

Only Glen appeared unaffected, save for the beads of sweat on Leo's face, which glinted under the fire. The possessed boy was breathing deeply through his nose, and staring into the blaze. His melancholic eyes had turned bright gold. Gilbert felt a pang at the sight. In spite of the heat, nostalgia chilled him to the bone. Up above, the Jabberwocky was flying from one Chain to the other, guiding their moves, shooting fire at the broken chains that escaped their hold.

Gradually the clinking was changing, culminating into a strangely familiar tune...

Gilbert's eyes widened when he recognized it. Among the chinking pieces of broken chains, he heard excerpts from the melody 'Lacie.' The contractor heard more than he saw the chains coming together. When the Raven seemed about to get out of control, Gilbert redirected the sword, and pointed in the direction where the melody was faintest. Little by little, it filled his ears, in tune with the five birds' flapping giant wings, and Gilbert felt like he could reach out and touch the chains.

There was a small smile on his master's face. Gilbert grinned back.

Under the guidance of the Jabberwocky, his Chain was dragging the chains from the Abyss, through the Nightray door, and into their world. The Raven breathed fire on the broken chains, melting them into countless links, connecting them with a clicking of its beak. On the five Chains went, and with every flapping of their wings, Gilbert felt more air leaving his lungs. The feeling was too overwhelming for the man to care.

All of a sudden, the pressure loosened. Gilbert took a sharp intake of breath, and fell to his knees. He was shaking like a leaf. He tried hard not to pass out, hanging on to the sword for dear life. The hilt still felt warm, and he could feel the mirror burning him. Yet for some reason, the Raven's efforts seemed focused rather than wild. The Chain had stopped struggling against its contractor's control.

Gilbert looked up at the sky. The rain had stopped. Stray black feathers drifted in the wind, black against the navy blue of the ending night. As far as the eye could see, there was a long string of entwined chains glinting under the stars. And somewhere far away, the echo of the tune that had inspired Glen to compose 'Lacie.' As Raven's blood mirror thumped against his heart, Gilbert wondered if his master had witnessed the birth of the world.

A wet thump distracted the contractor from his thoughts. When he looked down, Gilbert realized to his horror that Glen Baskerville had collapsed on the grass. Overtaken by an awful sense of déjà vu, Gilbert got up and staggered to the possessed boy's side, slipping every three steps.

Vincent beat him there. He crouched down to help the vessel sit up in the muddy grass. Gilbert knelt next to them, and called his master, but no answer would come. The servant held a shaking hand before the boy's face. He was relieved to feel a puff of hot breath on his skin.

"Calm down," came the exhausted voice of Duke Barma.

When he turned towards him, Gilbert found that the duke had all but collapsed against the duchess' wheelchair. The contractor of the Dodo was using the rest of his strength to enlighten them on the situation:

"The worst is over," the duke heaved, a drained self-satisfied smirk plastered to his face. "We have successfully reconstructed the foundations. Our Chains can handle the rest on their own. As long as none of them loses its contractor, nothing can hinder the reconstruction of the chains now. Even if we… pass out..."

To Gilbert's amazement, with this last sentence, the man proceeded to do just that. The duchess' wheelchair seemed to have gotten stuck in the mud, and the back of the chair broke the duke's fall. He was now slumped precariously across the hard wood, with the duchess fast asleep next to him.

"In that case," Vincent chuckled. "I suggest that we escort the good duke and Lady Rainsworth somewhere they can rest."

"Your reinforcements are on their way," Zai Vessalius said.

To Gilbert's eternal dismay, the man appeared to have taken the experience rather lightly. His cane supported most of his weight, and he was sweating profusely, but none of it had been enough to make him lose his composure.

Right on cue, the two red-cloaked figures that had been guarding the door rushed to their side. Glen stirred at their touch:

"No," he breathed.

Gilbert started.

"Just take care of the two Lords and the Duchess," the possessed boy went on. "Vincent… escort Gilbert and I somewhere we can rest."

Vincent sent Gilbert a pointed look, and the latter resolved to obey without comment.

"Keep this with you," Vincent gave the sword case to Gilbert, and helped Glen to his feet. "You might need it again if Raven gets out of control. Can you walk?"

Gilbert nodded. His hands were unsteady as he sheathed Elliot's sword and buckled it under his coat, but it looked like his legs could hold on a while more. With the poisoner on the loose, Gilbert couldn't afford to show any weakness.

As he followed Vincent back inside, he threw a backward suspicious glance at Zai. Gilbert wouldn't put it past that man to poison Break and keep his own agenda. If he decided to strike again, would Echo and Charlotte be enough to stop him? Whoever the poisoner was, this person had to be resourceful to have walked past Zwei once. They had to unmask the culprit, and fast.

Gilbert had to lean on the walls for support as he followed Vincent through the corridors, and paused every twenty seconds to catch his breath. The more he walked, the more the contractor suffered from the aftereffects of Raven's powers. It came as a huge relief when Vincent finally picked an empty room and helped Glen to a sofa.

As soon as the boy was comfortably sat, Vincent rushed to help Gilbert sit next to him. Gilbert sank in the plush cushions, and tipped his head back. For several seconds, the two Baskervilles just sat motionless next to each other, and tried to catch their breath. Gilbert listened as Glen's breathing slowly evened out. He turned to look at the host closely.

The boy was screwing his eyes, his face bathed in cold sweat. When Vincent held out a handkerchief to wipe it, he batted his hand away. Even Glen's voice sounded smaller as the boy struggled to stay awake. Gilbert sat up straighter:

"Are you…Leo?"

Leo's half-lidded eyes seemed pitch black as they stared back at him. He looked like he had just been rescued from drowning: exhausted, yet determined to breathe and talk. Gilbert could read half-formed sentences on his lips, but deep gasps were all he could hear. Vincent advised the boy to take it easy, but the latter just gritted his teeth in frustration.

"Gilbert," he wheezed. "What are you trying to do?"

Gilbert felt his features relax slightly. A strange mix of relief and apprehension settled in his chest. This voice was nothing like his master's; he was positive it was Leo talking to him. The boy had recovered after all. Probably due to the excessive use Oswald had made of the Jabberwocky's powers, Leo had been able to take control again.

"…What do you mean?" Gilbert asked, his own voice weak from the experience.

He wasn't sure what to expect from Leo. Gilbert had no idea what had happened when Oz had gone to face the other boy, aside from the fact that Leo had been badly injured. His midnight eyes were piercing through Gilbert, in search of something the man couldn't place.

"You know what I mean," Leo said in a rasping tone. "You went to Xerxes Break. You came back for Oz. You even had Vincent summon the Dormouse so you wouldn't attack him."

Leo clenched his jaws and rubbed at his temple furiously, in a strangely familiar fashion. Gilbert's heart skipped a beat when he realized what this reminded him of: he always reacted like this when foreign voices invaded his mind.

"You defied your master's orders," Leo said curtly. "Why?"

"I… I didn't!" Gilbert protested. Suddenly he realized he had put a hand to his own temple, in what was turning into a frightening habit. "I wasn't trying to hide this from master! I wanted to find a way to get rid of Jack without killing Oz! I meant to talk to you…to master about it. About the Children of Misfortune, too. But first…"

Leo sniggered. It was barely noticeable with his erratic breathing. But his humourless, self-depreciative smile spoke a thousand words:

"Ha ha… No wonder he was so worried..."

"I am serious!" Gilbert insisted. "I _will_ discuss this with him, but first we have to find out who poisoned Break!"

"Glen did."

Whatever Gilbert had been about to say vanished from his mind.

There was a fixed grin on Leo's face, and a glint in his surreal eyes. Something akin to pity.

"The one who was controlling my body," the boy added. "I think his given name was Oswald? He stole Vincent's drug, and used it on Xerxes Break after Zwei captured him."

In his peripheral vision, Gilbert saw Vincent nod with a bitter smile of his own. He didn't look remotely surprised.

But that couldn't be right.

"It's ridiculous," it almost sounded like the gravely voice from his past speaking through Gilbert's mouth. "Why would master…"

"Because he was afraid you would go to Break," Leo answered. "That you would start to question his decisions, and rely on other people instead. Moreover, on his enemies. Why do you think he relieved Charlotte to guard Oz?"

Suddenly the boy winced, and started rubbing at his forehead, the nails of his other hand digging into the sofa. A short bark of laughter escaped his lips.

"Oh yes, keep telling yourself that," Leo grumbled with a fixed stare. "'It's for his own good.' You're saving him from the Destroyer's evil clutches. This is how things are meant to be. Gilbert belongs with you. Don't make me laugh..."

Leo was hissing and clawing at the sofa like a furious cat. Gilbert had his back to the arm of the couch, too scared to move. He looked over at his brother to seek for help, but Vincent just held up a hand:

"Let him vent," the gesture seemed to say. "It will pass soon."

But Leo showed no sign of calming down. Without warning, he started to yell at an invisible offender. The golden specks in his eyes shone with a morbid glee:

"Just admit that you want your servant for yourself! You would sacrifice everything but Gilbert's loyalty, because he's all you've left! _You're just as bad as I am!_"

The boy's shaking hand travelled from his forehead to his chest, and started clutching at his clothes. Gilbert sat up straight:

"Your wound…!"

Leo froze. Gilbert couldn't form another word. He had even gone numb to the burning touch of the blood mirror. The boy turned to smirk at him, in a nightmarish version of his master's soothing smiles:

"…Should that really be your main concern right now?"

Gilbert clenched both fists on his knees:

"What you said… It can't be right. Master knows I can't betray him."

"Yet you betrayed Oz."

Gilbert shuddered. Just hearing it made him want to retch.

"Oswald did it on purpose, you know," Leo sighed. "Order you to shoot Oz, I mean. Because he couldn't bear the thought of you having another master, let alone a Chain he intends to destroy."

"He is…" Gilbert's voice broke. "He really is going to kill Oz."

"Yes…" Leo's pale fingers lingered above his chest wound, and a ghost of regret flickered in his eyes. "'To restore the Abyss to its former stability,' or so he claims."

"And he doesn't believe there is a way to save Miss Alice, either," Leo let his hand drop. "Oz broke the contract because he knew she would share his fate. According to Glen, since they are the same Chain, their bond is impossible to break. As long as she lives, she will always hold a destructive power of some form. We would have sent her into the Abyss too, in the end."

"But…" Gilbert protested feebly. "Master said he would consider it…"

"Oh, he did," Leo said sardonically. "That hypocrite. He's not nearly as unfeeling as he likes to pretend. Of course he considered saving his niece, even if he knew she would die anyway. The same way he helped me 'fix' Elliot."

"It didn't take long, though," Leo snarled. "Those who become Glen know their priorities. According to the order of things the Baskervilles are trying to preserve, Chains that can destroy other Chains shouldn't exist. Even if she can't break the chains that hold the world, Miss Alice still has the power to kill a Baskerville. Therefore, she has to die. When did a single person's feelings ever matter next to that?"

Gilbert held his head between his hands. He was shaking all over, at a loss as to what to do.

Was this what his master was thinking? All these deaths, the world almost sinking into the Abyss, the madness brought by time travel... If the Baskervilles restored the former order, would it all really be fixed?

Would it be worth sacrificing generations upon generations of children born with red eyes?

"It won't solve anything," Gilbert fisted his hair. "It just means more deaths..."

His master had never wanted to sacrifice Lacie. He didn't want to kill what was left of his niece, either. And if he did, there was no guarantee that the stability of the Abyss and the world would be restored. It was absurd. Gilbert had had _enough_ of this.

He wished Oz were here.

Oz would know what to do, what was wrong with the situation, and how to fix it. With this sharp mind and emphatic nature of his, his young master had solved many puzzles before this one. If only Gilbert still had his insight...

"I have to save Alice," Gilbert said.

He didn't see what else he could do. Even if Oz had only been driven by his own feelings, Gilbert would keep the last promise he had made him. Until the servant found a solution, he would protect Alice with everything he had.

Vincent sighed, clearly disappointed:

"Is this alright with you, Lord Leo?"

"It is alright with _me,_" Leo said with a hollow laugh. "I can't say I speak for all Glens, though."

"It's okay," Gilbert rubbed at his temples to try and clear his head. "I'll take full responsibility. If any of them has objections, we will talk this through. But we can't keep things like this."

Silence fell, and for a short while Gilbert relished the quiet. His headaches were getting scarcer. Then twin howls of laughter met his ears, making him jump out of his skin.

"Wh-What is it?" Gilbert looked from Vincent to Leo, afraid they had gone into hysterics.

"My dear brother," Vincent said between helpless giggles. "Ever the diplomat. You are so _adorable_."

"Indeed, he is. I can see why Oz and you get along so well," Leo's shoulders were shaking. "That's just the kind of naïve speech that would drive Elliot up a wall."

Gilbert bit his bottom lip, confused and a little hurt. Leo wiped at his tears. His face was quick to turn serious again. He held out Oswald's pocket watch.

"Make sure not to rush into this unprepared," he warned Gilbert. "Think of a way to go into the Abyss and make it back."

The servant pocketed the music box, and made sure its thin chain was safely hidden from view.

"…I know where Sharon is," he said. "There might be a way…"

"Don't tell me," Leo cut him off sharply. "Glen mustn't know."

"But…"

"That's an order, Gilbert," Leo glared, the golden specks bright against his black eyes. "Carry out your plan, and keep me in the dark."

Gilbert could only nod. The boy bent his head, and put a hand on the sword at Gilbert's waist.

"I am leaving things in your hands," he said in a hushed voice. "I think… that's what Elliot would have wanted. You are as foolishly kind as he was."

Of its own accord, Gilbert's hand clenched the sword's hilt. He didn't know what to say. That he didn't deserve these words and sword. That he was sorry. That Elliot hadn't been foolish.

But Gilbert hardly knew Leo. He had no words of comfort to offer. Once again, he wished Oz were here.

Leo lowered his hand in silent farewell. With his hung head and unruly hair, he looked nothing more than a young boy who had lost his best friend. The gesture came naturally. Forgetting that this was Glen Baskerville, leader of the Abyss messengers, and his master from another time, Gilbert patted him on the head. Leo's shoulders tensed. But when Gilbert let go, the boy seemed to breathe more evenly.

Vincent offered to help him walk. Gilbert was too tired to decline. He leant heavily on his little brother's shoulder, and let him guide him through the corridors of Pandora Headquarters.

"Take me to Reim," he whispered as soon as he was sure Leo was out of earshot.

"Of course," Vincent chuckled. "Who else would know where to find Miss Sharon?"

"I'll need her help to get back from the Abyss," Gilbert kept talking into his brother's ear, to keep his head clear and stay awake. "The problem is how to _get_ there. I can't wait for a distortion to open a path... And Raven might not come back in time..."

"You should go back to the Nightray manor," Vincent said. "I told our driver to keep our carriage ready, just in case. You should save your strength and use the Nightray key to open the Gate."

"Joseph?" Gilbert asked, startled. "But how would I explain to him…?"

Vincent laughed outright.

"He won't ask. Just tell him to take you to the Nightray manor by the shortest roads, and you will be there in no time. You are a very agreeable duke, after all."

"What?" Gilbert stared sideways at his brother in confusion. "No, I am not. Duke Nightray's will…"

"As you are probably aware, servants don't worry so much about details," Vincent said lightly. Incongruity aside, it was a small comfort to see that his mood had improved, if only slightly. "You might not have been to the manor in a while, but they all remember you as their kindest master. You even bothered to remember each of their names. As far as they are concerned, you are Duke Nightray."


	3. Vessalius

**Ambidextrous**

AN: I love _Retraces 78 _to_ 82._ These chapters were amazing, much better than anything I could ever pull off here. However, fanfiction isn't about doing better than the author: I just love to write about these characters. As much as I prefer to stay close to the original, _Ambidextrous_ has already taken a different direction, and some things simply won't fit with the plot I had in mind. All the same, beware of **spoilers**: I am still fitting everything that _does_ serve my plot in.

Now, on to business, I have a story to finish. Since it has been a while (sorry for writing so slowly), here is a summary of what happened previously:

Previous Chapter Summary:

Glen Baskerville, Zai Vessalius, Sheryl Rainsworth, Rufus Barma and Gilbert Nightray successfully used the power of their five Black Winged Chains to prevent the destruction of the world. But in the meantime, Gilbert found out that Glen intended to send the three of Vincent, Break and Oz to the lowest level of the Abyss.

Unable to oppose his master directly, but determined to find a third option, Gilbert decides to keep his last promise to Oz, and use the Nightray key to go into the Abyss and rescue Alice.

Disclaimer: All characters except for Joseph (the coach driver from chapter 2) were borrowed from the mangaka Jun Mochizuki. The copyrights go to Square Enix.

A billion thanks to my sister Stingmon for her help as a beta-reader.

* * *

**_Vessalius_**

Gilbert had thought that he would be too agitated to rest as Vincent had advised, but exhaustion won him over. No sooner had he boarded the carriage than he fell like a stone on the seats. In spite of the jolts and the sword digging into his side, he slept right through the travel back to the Nightray manor.

Joseph had to shake him awake. Gilbert assured him that he would be fine on his own, and instructed the driver to bring the horses back to the stable. If all went according to plan, Gilbert wouldn't need them again.

Alone, he hurried across the driveway leading to the Nightray manor. It was strange to feel the weight of a sword at his side after so long. Gilbert hadn't fenced in two years, not since he had left for the capital: he had always favoured pistols for his missions, as they were easier to conceal. Furthermore, Gilbert had been quick to learn how to incapacitate his targets without killing or crippling them for life. As for assassination… for what is was worth, bullet wounds were less bloody.

Yet before he knew it, Gilbert was adapting his walk to the weight at his side, like the sword had never left. It looked like eight years of sparring with Elliot and being massacred by Break had left their mark on him. And to think Gilbert used to be so far behind, back in the days when Lord Oscar had initiated him into fencing alongside Oz...

Gilbert barged through the double doors, and raced up the carpeted stairs to the second floor. Vincent's room wasn't locked. Sharon's voice rose from Gilbert's shadow:

"**There is a hidden compartment inside the cabinet to your left. Fit the queen's crown into the little hole on its left side to open it. The antidote is the small triangular yellow flask."**

"By 'queen,' you mean the chess piece?" the man asked.

"**Yes."**

Gilbert had already opened the set and taken the black queen. He rushed to the cabinet, and felt for the hole Sharon had mentioned. As Eques' contractor had said, the tiny crown fit perfectly. Gilbert turned it with a click.

When he opened the compartment, he found an assortment of small crystal bottles glinting in the dark. The flask Sharon had described was tucked between two thicker glass bottles containing a greenish liquid. To Gilbert's relief, the small flask was full to the brim.

Gilbert crouched down, and placed the bottle on his shivering shadow. A patch of darkness detached itself and swept the clear object along.

"Is that the one?"

"**Yes,"** Sharon answered. **"According to Lord Vincent."**

Gilbert hesitated in front of the remaining bottles. He heard the distrust in Sharon's voice. The man couldn't blame her. Vincent had poisoned her in the past, and he had never been on friendly terms with Break, either. As much as Gilbert wanted to trust his brother, he still couldn't be positive that Vincent was on their side.

"Maybe you should bring Break and Reim here?" he told the Chain inside his shadow. "If Vincent lied… they might find the true antidote while I am away…"

"**Don't be ridiculous,"** Sharon cut him off. **"Reim can't disappear now, and you can't afford to wait here until I get to Break. Hurry and find Miss Alice. We will take care of the rest."**

Gilbert shut the cabinet, got to his feet, and descended the stairs four at a time. Sharon was right. There was no time to lose, and they couldn't afford to doubt each other at the moment. Reim had already taken great risks by freeing Sharon and hiding her, even though it had been on Rufus Barma's orders – Gilbert winced at the mere thought of the written message, which the Duke had apparently hidden under Reim's _bandages,_ of all places.

In any case, if the servant disappeared along with Break, it would be far too suspicious. Reim had had no choice but to go back to his master's side, leaving the task of rescuing Break to Sharon and Vincent. Gilbert could only hope that Break would find a way to save Oz once he had recovered.

"Echo will be there, too," Gilbert whispered. He didn't know whether he was trying to reassure Sharon or himself. "I am…not sure where her loyalties lie, but she seemed concerned about Oz."

"**We will be fine, Gilbert,"** Sharon told him in a gentler tone. **"Please focus on your own task."**

Gilbert's steps faltered when he passed the mantelpiece in the Nightray living room. The hat Ada had given him was still there. He touched it tentatively. It had dried while he was away. The material felt smooth and soft against his gloveless fingers.

He was here on Oz's orders, Gilbert reminded himself. The thought made the weight on his chest a little lighter. He put the hat on, and allowed himself a small smile. As childish as it was, Gilbert had always felt sheltered under its long black brims. He reached the side door and its subterranean passage with renewed determination.

The Nightray Gate was there to greet him, imposing as ever with its high arc, broad gold bars, and the hint of never-ending darkness beyond. Gilbert put a hand to the sword's hilt without slowing down. He walked up to the door and grabbed the bar. The hard metal slipped right through his fingers.

Darkness engulfed him. Gilbert could hear rattling chains and swashing water all around him. His ears rang from the sudden air pressure. The man walked with purpose. The shallow water hindered his progress. Gradually, he was starting to distinguish vague forms in the dark.

His hand moved to his holster, but met nothingness. He had left his pistols with Echo.

"**Don't worry,"** Sharon's voice sounded very close in the darkness. **"Eques can take care of the Chains."**

Gilbert nodded. He could feel his shadow shudder as he scanned the darkness. The forms he had glimpsed were motionless. The man took careful steps forward. He could make out the eroded contours of ruins and broken furniture. Silence weighed down on him.

Gilbert sighed through his nose. For now, he was alone. However, Chains would definitely feel his presence in their home. They would follow the smell of human blood.

There was only one Chain that Gilbert was after. He fished the music box out of his pocket, and flicked it open.

The sad tune made for strange background noise as Gilbert splashed his way across the water, deeper and deeper into the darkness. It sounded eerie and defeated, like a requiem. But Gilbert had no intention to die here.

He called Alice's name. Nothing. Not even a drop of water in the distance. Every move Gilbert made seemed deafening in the silence, yet strangely muffled. There wasn't enough air to carry an echo. It was suffocating.

Gilbert kept calling. Neither his voice nor the dreamlike melody could drown out the ringing in his ears. The dark brims of his hat looked grey against the murk of the Abyss. The occasional broken toy floated by in the sky-less wasted landscape, but there was no trace of a little girl or giant rabbit.

The man skirted around the square point of what looked like an old giant chess set, with its broken tip immersed like a surreal iceberg. The more he walked, the more Gilbert feared that his search was hopeless. Mere hours in the outside world could equal to an eternity in the Abyss. Gilbert might be anchored to Sharon's time through Eques and their connected shadows, but Alice was on her own. Did she even have enough power left to defend herself against the other Chains? What if she was…

Gilbert stopped and strained his ears. He thought he had heard a voice.

"…_**Hatter..."**_

Gilbert started:

"Break?"

"**We found him,"** Sharon replied hastily. **"Xerx, hang in there!"**

Her disembodied voice was full of anguish. Trembling words were drifting to him through the gurgle of the waters at his feet. Gilbert could barely understand their meaning. He took a reluctant step forward. The splash drowned Sharon's voice, along with the faded echoes of Vincent and Break, and the broken notes of the pocket watch. Gilbert halted his steps. Gradually, the water stilled around his ankles. Breathless words drifted to his ears:

"…_**will thank you when you stop this sickening hobby of collecting poisons, you little rat."**_

"Break!" A wave of relief washed over Gilbert. "Are you alright?"

"_**How wounding, Mister Hatter,"**_came Vincent's sultry voice. _**"After all the trouble Miss Sharon and I went through…"**_

"_**Yes, I'll be sure to thank Gilbert for taking advantage of that brother complex of yours. How considerate. Not only does he treat me like an invalid, but he had to send **_**you **_**to play nursemaid."**_

"H-Hey!" Gilbert protested. "It wasn't Vincent's fault if that bottle got stolen!"

"**They can't hear you, Gilbert," **Sharon said. Gilbert jumped slightly at the clarity of the sound, and the ripples swallowed the fainter voices of her two companions. **"Break will be fine… Xerx, don't push yourself! Here, lean on my shoulder."**

"_**Oh right, Gilbert is here,"**_Break's snide voice was back. _**"Did you find Alice yet?"**_

"No," Gilbert answered a little sheepishly. "Not yet."

Sharon relayed the information.

"_**Then stop slacking and get back to work,"**_ Break sighed. _**"I'll get Oz for you."**_

"_**We, **_**Break," **Sharon heaved a sigh. **"Get used to it. Miss Echo, is the road clear?"**

The dark waters fell silent for two seconds, until Sharon's voice rose once again:

"**Alright, let's go. Gilbert, we'll have to act very quietly from now on. Please don't worry about us. You said it yourself: we can't rescue Lord Oz without Miss Alice." **

Gilbert nodded and resumed his pace. It was true. There was nothing Gilbert could do to help his colleagues from the Abyss. If he wanted to go back to their side, he had to find Alice, and fast.

But where could she be? It felt like he had been walking for hours, and still there was no sign of a Chain. The Abyss was nothing but a deserted marshland.

'Could it be because I am a Baskerville?' Gilbert wondered suddenly. 'Are the Chains avoiding me?'

Gilbert couldn't be sure. He kept scanning the darkness in search of hungry eyes, and straining his ears for a noise of any kind. But Gilbert was alone with the sound of his own steps and the melancholic melody. He almost wished the Chains would attack. Then he wouldn't feel this draining mix of anticipation and pointlessness.

He thought he heard Break and Vincent's voices, and almost stopped to check. Had they been spotted?

Gilbert was about to voice his worries to Sharon, but a sharp pain in his left hand stopped him. The man gripped his shaking hand and looked around him. He found himself in a field of overturned ten feet tall cubes, with rusting numbers on their faces. There was no Chain in sight.

Gilbert could still feel the pull from Raven's efforts as the giant bird recreated the broken chains. The open watch at his wrist seemed to weigh a ton. Yet the sensation from earlier had been different. It was reminiscent of the times when B-Rabbit's powers had been unleashed. Did something happen to Oz? Or…

"_Oz!_"

The man turned round just in time to see Alice materialising atop the highest toy box. She looked changed, almost immaterial in her silk black dress and ribbons, but Gilbert would have recognized her shrill bossy voice anywhere. He would never have thought that he would be so happy to hear it.

Gilbert had heard anger and relief clash when she called Oz's name. Both emotions vanished as soon as Alice saw the man:

"Raven..."

Her voice was trembling. From shock or anger, Gilbert couldn't tell. She was too far for him to read her expression. Of course, he knew what to expect.

A lump formed in his throat, but Gilbert refused to look away. It was almost a relief to meet Alice's accusing glare. The man had expected this anger from the moment he had shot Oz. Ever since, he had been waiting for a punishment that never came.

No one had a right to hurt Oz: it was the one thing Alice and he had always agreed on. Gilbert knew that she would never forgive him.

"Why…" Alice's hands balled into tight fists at her sides. "No, don't tell me. You remembered, didn't you? Who Oz really is."

Gilbert was taken aback. What did that have to do with anything?

"You found out that he was the real B-Rabbit, so you shot him," Alice said bitterly. "Is that it?"

Gilbert could only stare at her in silence, dumbstruck. Lacie's melody was fluttering between them tauntingly.

"No," the man answered without thinking. "No, I… It wasn't a choice I made."

That was when it truly struck him. How instinctive it had been, to move his hand and pull the trigger. How the servant had heard the gunshot before he even had time to comprehend Glen's order. How, ever since, Gilbert had been a stranger in his own body.

No… It had been the case long before that. Before his amnesia, before the Tragedy… He had had this alienating feeling almost as far as he could remember. When had it all begun?

His head throbbed. Gilbert looked down at his hands and realized they were shaking. His fingers closed around the vibrating metal of the pocket watch. The box swallowed the notes with a resounding click. Silence fell.

"I did…I do remember," Gilbert said. His mouth felt strangely dry. "The truth is that I am a Baskerville. I was Glen's servant back in Sablier. Ever since then… there was this voice in my head," the man clawed at his skull. "It's driving me mad. And now master… Oz is..."

Distorted memories of his master danced before his eyes. Oswald's calm words, Oz's laughing eyes, Leo's pale hands pulling at his hair to chase the ghosts away. An ancient hooded hunchback with scrawny lips, spouting murderous commandments that took root in Gilbert's head. A vow carved in flesh and blood between Chains and Baskervilles. _So that's why Vincent never sank into the Abyss. _Raven's warning. Possessed boys, century old voices haunting him...

"_Who poured these thoughts into you?"_ Break had asked.

Gilbert didn't know. But if this voice and his left hand bound him to Glen's will, then...

"Where is he?"

Gilbert raised his eyes from the cold golden watch to look up at Alice. She had taken a step forward on her box. She was going bare foot.

"Where is Oz?"

Her powerful voice vibrated in the confined air. It shook Gilbert out of his trance:

"He was taken prisoner. Master…Glen is going to send him to the lowest level of the Abyss."

Alice flinched. Even from this distance, Gilbert could tell that she was shaking. She stomped her foot on the giant cube:

"Don't! Glen… No, you can't do that! Oz is _mine! _I was the one who brought Oz to the real world! I should decide what to do with him! _You can't take him away!_"

Gilbert's eyes widened. It suddenly dawned on him. Alice wasn't shaking from anger. She was scared. Scared for Oz. And what she had said…

"You remember," Gilbert whispered.

"That's right!" Alice gave a vigorous nod. The movement sent droplets of water flying around her face. "I remember everything. I was there, that day, when Oz nearly destroyed the world. Jack forced him to do it!" her voice was growing stronger with every word, until she was screaming: "He stole Oz from me and used his power… Oz couldn't even fight back! He was crying, and Jack wouldn't_ listen…!_"

Her voice broke. Her slight shoulders were shaking so hard Gilbert was afraid they would dislocate. The surreal halo that surrounded her made Alice's tears glow on her cheeks, their shine apparent even from this distance.

Gilbert was speechless, stuck between shock and an overwhelming sympathy that constricted his throat and kept his voice trapped. Even the man's shadow shuddered at his feet. He had been there to witness Oz's torture. Gilbert remembered the scene Alice described all too well.

"I won't let him do it again!" the little girl cried, her eyes shut tightly against the onslaught of uncontrollable tears. "I won't let _anyone _use Oz again! I won't forgive those who made him cry! Not even Glen, not even _you!_ Just…"

A hiccup cut through her screaming. She used her sleeves to wipe at her nose furiously.

"Just…give Oz back to me," she said between sobs. "Don't kill him, Raven."

Gilbert almost jumped. She sounded _pleading_. Did Alice really think that…?

Of course she did, Gilbert thought with sudden revulsion. She had seen him shoot Oz. She also knew the reason why Glen had given that order. She was Alice Baskerville. As such, she knew that her uncle's orders were absolute. And Glen Baskerville wanted Gilbert to kill Oz.

"I won't," Gilbert said firmly. "Never."

Alice stilled, and her black dress fell in small drifts around her ankles. Gilbert took a step forward. Dark water rippled all around him. The man thought he heard a clatter in the distance, but he ignored it.

"Oz will be fine, I promise," Gilbert pointed at the stilling water. "Sharon and the others went to rescue him."

The man suddenly realized that the metallic sounds were coming from his shadow. He strained his ears to hear more from Sharon's side, but something was covering her voice. Gilbert thought he heard Break shout, and heavy clanging in the distance.

"**Hurry, Lord Oz! We have to get away!"**

Hope flared in Gilbert's heart. They had found Oz! They would protect him. Now, all he had to do…

"Then why are you here?"

Alice's voice brought Gilbert back to reality. The man clenched his left hand resolutely and turned back towards her. Maybe there was a way out after all. Gilbert suspected he knew what was wrong with him, and how to protect Oz from now on. But first, there were some things he had to confirm.

"Oz sent me to get you," he told Alice. "He said that, a hundred years ago, you took his powers and became the new B-Rabbit. Is that true? Do you remember anything like this?"

"Yeah," Alice answered hesitantly, and raised a hand in front of her face. It was translucent. "But it looks like he got them back. And now Jack is using him again."

She snorted. It sounded like a sniffle.

"You should have brought him here! That idiot rejected me, and now I can't even go back…"

"I _will _bring you back," Gilbert said. "You're the only one who can save Oz. So tell me: have you really lost all of his powers? If you went back to our world, could you take them back?"

Alice threw him a suspicious look:

"I can still feel some power. Just enough to move about." She grinded her teeth. "And even then, I had to ask the other Alice to bring me here when I heard the music box. I can't handle Oz's powers without a proper body."

Gilbert felt a renewed confidence. That was it.

"In that case," he said, "make a contract with me."

Alice's eyes widened. For a second, Gilbert thought her body looked a more solid white against the darkness of the Abyss. That only strengthened his suspicion.

"What did you say?"

"If you still hold some power from the Abyss," Gilbert told her, "then you are still a Chain. In order to go back to our world, all you need is a contractor. But it doesn't have to be Oz, does it?"

The little girl fidgeted. She still looked wary.

"You said you were one of the Reapers," she pointed an accusing finger at him. "Why would you help Oz now?"

The man hesitated. The memory of the gunshot was looming over them heavily, clouding Gilbert's confidence. He took a deep breath:

"Raven told me once that the two of us were bound by my left hand. At the time, I didn't realize what it meant. A hundred years ago, this contract I made was the first step before becoming the next Glen Baskerville. I vowed to serve him until the day I died."

"But I can't obey him anymore," Gilbert told Alice. "Not if it means sacrificing everything he loves. He was already forced to send his own sister into the Abyss, yet he is still trying to maintain that law about Children of Misfortune, even though…"

Gilbert stopped himself mid-sentence. No. He wouldn't mention the fact that Glen had also been ready to sacrifice his own niece. It was unsettling enough to see Alice this distraught; she definitely didn't need to hear that on top of everything.

"It's absurd," Gilbert said instead. "I won't let my master repeat his own mistakes. Even if it means betraying him."

His voice turned bitter:

"I broke my vow long ago anyway. In the end, the one I want to protect is Oz. The reason I renewed my contract with Raven was to save him. And now I can't even go back to him..."

"Even then… If I can't be relied on… at the very least, I want to share Oz's burden. If I was chosen as a host for Glen, then my body should be able to stand the power of five Chains. I am sure I can bear the power of B-Rabbit. If worst comes to worst, Raven can seal some of it away. This way, if B-Rabbit's power is shared between us… Oz won't have to handle this alone."

Alice was peering down at him like a hawk, with her toes gripping the side of the giant cube. Her amethyst eyes stood out sharply against her surreally pale face. The man still couldn't tell whether she was staring at him with reproach, fear or hope. Either way, he couldn't blame her for distrusting him.

"Besides," Gilbert's voice grew softer. "I've come to realize that I misjudged you." The man lowered his eyes. "I called you a parasite, when all this time you were protecting Oz. Long before I even knew him. Please forgive me."

Gilbert drew his lips into a tight line. Once again, Break had been proven right. Overcome by his own jealousy and resentment, Gilbert had been blind to the truth. It was about time he set things right.

He heard Alice take a sharp intake of breath. When he looked up, she seemed slightly flushed. She shook herself, her long dark hair flying all around her and sending golden drops in every direction. After that, the little girl raised her chin, put both hands on her hips, and with a decisive nod, she said:

"Oz belongs to me. If you're his, I guess that makes both of you my servants. This _might_ make up for what you did."

Her words were still harsh, yet she sounded bolder. The little girl hopped from box to box until she landed on the one opposite Gilbert. She held out her hand and the man took it. He thought all had been said and done when, out of the blue, Alice stood on tiptoe to whack him on the head.

"_What was that fo…_"

"For shooting Oz." Alice punched him again. "And _that's_ for being an idiotic, useless seaweed-head."

"I am not…!"

"Stop saying that you can't be relied on, or I won't," Alice grabbed Gilbert's hair and yanked, so they were nose to nose. "I already told you, didn't I? I won't let _anyone _hurt Oz again, especially you. If you are useless enough to go crazy and try to shoot him again, I will use his powers to crush you. So you'd _better_ put up a good fight, because I'm going back to him, and you're coming with me!"

Gilbert blinked, at a loss for words. Beyond the boasting authority that the Chain took whenever she talked, he could hear the distress in her voice, and see the worry in her eyes. In her own, strange way, Alice was seeking reassurance. That there was the slightest chance that she wouldn't disappear, and that Oz could be saved. That she could protect Gilbert from himself.

The thought was so baffling Gilbert felt oddly flustered.

"You said it yourself," Alice shouted into his face. The man cringed. "You can't listen to Glen anymore. You'll be my contractor, and that means you'll only obey _me._ Swear it!"

Alice paused for breath and fixed him with an expectant glare. Gilbert's ears were ringing, yet her words sounded so hopeful he couldn't bring himself to get angry. In this moment, Alice was only a child trying to make her statements come true by yelling the words as loudly as she could. From up close, her embarrassed blush looked redder still, and Gilbert could feel her fingers shaking around his locks.

In the end, they were in the same boat.

He shook his head; the movement made him wince when his hair remained trapped within Alice's tiny fists:

"I can't do that."

The little girl opened her mouth to protest, but Gilbert put a placating hand on her head, half to make her back away and let go, half to reassure her:

"That's not how it works, stupid rabbit," he elaborated, his voice soft. He called her names almost as an afterthought these days. "You're a Chain, and I am a Baskerville. That makes us equals. Comrades. So I can't serve you."

The flush on her cheeks grew darker:

"I'm a Baskerville, too!"

Gilbert couldn't help but chuckle at that:

"Then that is all the more true, isn't it? Since we can't be by Glen's side anymore," he added ruefully.

A flicker of grief crossed Alice's features, and she went quiet. She looked to the side.

"You won't go away," she asked under her breath. "Right?"

Gilbert gave her a small smile:

"That's the point of making a contract. Whatever comes at us, we'll fight together."

Alice seemed to ponder that.

"Comrades… I suppose that's fine." When she turned back to him, there was a grin on her face. "Alright, Raven. First we save Oz, then we come back for my sister."

Sharon's voice startled them both.

"**Gilbert!"** Gilbert's shadow heaved. **"I can't hold on much longer, Lord Oz is…!"**

Gilbert's heart skipped a beat:

"Alice!"

A bright glow took over her body when he called her name. Alice swiped at the rusted number ingrained on her cube. Pearls of blood burst between her fingers when the metal cut her skin. Sharon shrieked. The floor vanished from under Gilbert's feet before he could take Alice's outstretched hand. The man was dragged down into the darkness.

He reached a helpless hand out to Alice. With her eyes set in a determined scowl, the Chain stuck her bloody fingers into her mouth and jumped after him. She snaked one arm around Gilbert's neck and sucked the blood off her other hand. She locked lips with him right before Eques' shadow swallowed his head.

Gilbert gulped out of reflex. Then gravity made a violent comeback. The man landed dizzy and scandalized next to a breathless Sharon. In the next second, he saw a crowned lion pounce. Eques burst out of their joined shadows and impaled the Chain on its flank.

"What a surprise," a sarcastic voice came from behind the lion. "To think you'd be behind all this, Nightray boy… or whatever household you're leeching off at present."

A violent shockwave took over Gilbert before he could answer. The man rolled out of the way as the two Chains fought, one hand clenched over his heart. It felt like a fireball was about to burst out of his chest. The man took a sharp intake of breath when the energy spread like wildfire through his veins. By contrast, the draft felt freezing against his hair. His hat had flown away.

Gilbert struggled to keep his eyes open. Even his eyelids burnt. He glimpsed Charlotte Baskerville through the furnace. The woman made no effort to suppress her shivers of cold fury.

"So you made a new contract." Her eyes were shooting daggers at him over her toothy grin. "Does it hurt? Don't worry. I will free you from the pain _right now._"

Her growling blended in the roar of her Chain. The lion pinned the black unicorn to the ground, only to leave it rearing at air and attack Gilbert. The man barely had time to unsheathe Elliot's sword. The claws and the black metal clang together. Gilbert was thrown back from the force of impact.

In the blink of an eye, Sharon was standing between him and the feline Chain. A black wall rose all around her.

"Gilbert," Sharon cried as Eques held the lion off with its horn. "I'm sorry, Lord Oz got away… He went outside. Go after him, I'll hold her back!"

"What?" Gilbert staggered back on his feet. His heartbeat was deafening to his own ears. "Sharon, what happened…"

"Aw, but aren't you worried about the Hatter and your little brother?" Charlotte snarled. "Master Glen and the others should be about done with them. Now move aside, I need to have a little chat with Jack…"

"They're buying us time!" Sharon turned to Gilbert hastily. "Don't listen to her! _Go!_"

Sharon took several steps back, breathing heavily. Safe in the shadow of her Chain, she held two fans before her in a defending position. With a last look at the fighting duo, Gilbert turned heels and fled.

"Master Glen trusted you!" Charlotte's screeches made him flinch. "I'll get you for this, _traitor!_"

The Baskerville's cries and Eques' whinnying pursued him as the man rushed towards the exit. He forced himself not to look back. His left hand was still clutching at his heart, where a contractor's seal was carving its way into his skin. The other clenched the black blade tightly. There was no turning back. Gilbert had already made his choice.

Oz was right ahead. Whatever had happened to him, Gilbert would be by his side to face it. The man knocked the double doors open with his shoulder:

"_Oz!_"

The boy was there. Surrounded by dewy grass, Oz stood shaking against the breaking dawn with his back to Gilbert. Oz was holding his hands before him, palms up, as if checking for raindrops. He gave no reaction when the man called his name.

"Why..."

Gilbert's relieved smile froze on his lips. The voice was deep and hoarse. Completely at odds with Oz's frail body. The man's fist clenched around the sword hilt with barely suppressed rage.

"I can't summon the scythe," the shaking voice went on. "Why? Glen, what did you do _this time?_"

Suddenly the boy turned to face him. Gilbert felt a sick feeling sink into his stomach. The eyes were green and wide like those of a wounded predator. Haunted and mad.

"No," the possessed boy whispered. "It was you, wasn't it? Gilbert..."

Gilbert glowered at him. He could feel the power of B-Rabbit concentrating in his chest like a wild animal about to pounce. The pull in his left hand was getting fainter. Raven was almost done restoring the chains Jack had destroyed.

"You tricked us," Gilbert growled back. "All of us. You have no right to use Oz like this. I won't let you."

"So you were the one who took his powers."

Oz's features relaxed, until his lips curled up into a lenient smile:

"Oh well, it was only a matter of time until Alice interfered again. I suppose I should thank you for bringing her back to me, Gilbert. I'd better settle this now."

Gilbert jumped out of the way a fraction too late. A metal spike slashed the left side of his arm. Pointed chains materialized all around Oz like so many hydra heads. Jack raised his arms, and their pointed ends turned to face Gilbert.

"Alice!" the man shouted, holding his bleeding arm to his chest.

The fire in his chest swelled and exploded. A dozen more chains darted through the air to meet Jack's. They knocked them out of the way with thunderous clanging. When Gilbert took a step back, he felt the presence of a massive Chain at his back.

"How nice of you to join us, Alice," the possessed boy greeted her.

"**Jack…"** a deep growl came from behind Gilbert, making him feel a shiver of kinship; the ferocity of her hate was going right through his body. **"I am going to maim you**_** limb by limb!**_**"**

"Don't!" Gilbert held out a hand in warning. "You can't hurt Oz!"

"**Stay out of this, Raven. Oz rejected me. He's going to pay for this!"**

"Gilbert has a point, you know," Jack chuckled. "Besides, you were never B-Rabbit to begin with. You can't blame Oz for taking back what is his."

"**You shut up!"** Alice roared. **"I don't care if he was the original B-Rabbit! Oz was always **_**mine,**_** and I can do whatever I want with his powers! **_**Now give him back, Jack!**_**"**

"Don't mind if I do," Jack whispered. "Oz."

No sooner had the name left his lips than a dark shape rose among the uncoiling chains. Gilbert could make out two lowered rabbit ears. With a pang to his chest, he realized the figure was hiding its face behind its hands.

"Oz…" Gilbert called softly.

The rabbit clenched his hands tighter in a vain attempt to shield himself from the world.

"**Don't…"** his voice rumbled among the rattling chains. **"Don't make me…"**

"Kill them."

Oz gave a cry, and the chains soared. Alice charged.

"Hold him back!" Gilbert slashed at the hissing chains with Elliot's sword. "Jack can't stay in control for long. _Don't hurt him!_"

But it was impossible to distinguish the two rabbits. Their contours were black and blurry, like twin shadows of the same entity merging as one. Their clash looked like a black mountain emerging from the fog.

Gilbert had to look away when Jack came at him with chains in his wake. Gilbert could only square up to them and back away. But his opponent followed, dancing before the black blade, unarmed and exposed. Gilbert cursed under his breath. He tried to parry and move out of the way.

The chains kept coming, darting from every direction. Hot pain flared in Gilbert's limbs when he failed to bat them away for fear of hurting the boy. He could hear Oz's desperate cries among the commotion.

"**Gil! Alice! **_**Run!**_** I don't want to kill you! **_**I don't want to kill you!**_**"**

"**As if I'd let you do that,"** Alice growled.

She sent him tumbling to the floor with a smack. The earth quaked in protest. Gilbert and Jack were knocked off their feet. Bloody grass and an open sky span before the man's eyes until the giant Chains jolted back into focus.

"**Gil, **_**please, **_**get Alice out of here!"**

"I'm not leaving you behind, Oz," Gilbert jumped to his feet, his eyes trained on Jack. "Never again!"

The possessed boy was staggering back to his feet, showing the first signs of fatigue. Gilbert was too lightheaded to feel any triumph. His legs were bleeding profusely. In his peripheral vision the rabbits were still fighting in a black chaos of claws and teeth. The world was turning fuzzier by the second.

"Don't worry, Oz," Gilbert willed his voice to remain steady. The blood in his left hand was pumping wildly. "Any second now..."

"This _is_ quite draining," Jack conceded between short puffs of breath. With a flick of his wrist, the possessed boy gathered the discarded chains behind him and advanced towards Gilbert. "You look pretty worn out yourself. However, unlike you, Gilbert, I have only one Chain to keep under control."

Gilbert took slow steps back, his sword at the ready. Jack was ten meters away. Soon, it would be over soon...

A sudden hissing sound made the man dive in alarm. Four spikes sunk into the ground Gilbert had been standing on milliseconds ago. Jack had struck from the back.

"I wonder," the ghost said as he came to meet him head-on, "which of us will collapse first?"

Gilbert pushed the boy away, and a spike sank into his left shoulder. The man rolled out of the way on his uninjured shoulder with the sound of hissing chains close to his ears. When his momentum sent him back to his feet, Gilbert felt a final jolt in his left hand. Then he heard the caw.

Raven. At last.

Jack looked up at the sky with sudden trepidation. Gilbert rushed at him.

The possessed boy tried to get away and hide behind a wall of snaking chains. Gilbert had to watch his step against the tremors the giant rabbits were causing in their scuffle. He slashed wildly at the chains. Gashes were opening all over Gilbert's body as he ran, but he barely felt them. High above, Raven was swooping down on them.

Three feet. Gilbert swiped two chains out of his way, and reached with his left hand. His face even, Jack pointed straight at his heart. Without missing a beat, Gilbert slammed his bare hand against the possessed boy's forehead. A violent earthquake broke behind the man with heavy clanging. Out of the corner of his eye, Gilbert saw giant black talons holding a metal coil to the ground. Raven had landed right on the chain about to impale its contractor.

The sword fell to Gilbert's side. The man hung on to the struggling boy, his right hand digging into a frail shoulder. Gilbert's left hand glowed a bright blue against Oz's forehead. The servant didn't hold back this time, and let all the power he held as a Baskerville seep through the seal. The small body went limp in his arms. The two rabbits and crow vanished in a ray of morning light.

"Oz," Gilbert panted, holding on to the boy's forehead and shoulder like his life depended on it. "Oz, can you hear me?"

Blurry green eyes blinked madly up at him. Oz's fair features were distorted in a grimace of pain. A drop of blood was dripping from the side of his bottom lip.

"…Why?" he croaked. "Why did you come back? You… _I almost killed you!_"

In spite of his wounds and racing heart, Gilbert couldn't help but give a heavy sigh of relief. The voice was cracked and hoarse, but the man recognized it as Oz's. Regardless, he forced himself not to let go. Gilbert had learnt of Jack's acting skills the hard way. Oz would never forgive his servant if he let his guard down too soon.

"I had to, Oz," Gilbert said nonetheless. He knew Oz would hear him. "I need to be by your side."

"_Are you out of your mind?_" the boy grabbed Gilbert's mantle with both hands. "You saw what I did! You know what I am! Why would you want anything to do with me?"

"I am your servant…"

"No, you're not!"

Oz was striving like the very devil to free himself. Gilbert grabbed both his wrists with his right hand to hold him still. He didn't feel confident enough to let go of the boy's forehead just yet.

Oz panted heavily. He wouldn't stop struggling, and it felt like each word was hurting him, grating on his tongue like salt into a wound:

"You're Glen's servant. Go back to him. Alice, too. She… She's his niece, right? You belong with him. Both of you. Forget about me. I'm just… I'm just a _doll!_"

"I remember," Gilbert told him gently.

This gave Oz pause. His hands felt cold even through the man's glove. Gilbert held them close to his heart:

"You and Alice were always together, back in Sablier. Once, she tore one of your sleeves and asked Master Glen to sew it back together. I volunteered to do it in his stead," the man chuckled self-mockingly. "I was so vexed. And I think that's all the interaction we had back then."

Oz refused to look at him.

"But that's all in the past," Gilbert told the crown of golden hair. "My master is dead, and there's nothing I can do about it. In this time, you were the one who gave me a place to belong. I don't want to give that up."

A brief silence settled. Oz broke it in a small voice:

"That was all fake. Just a part of Jack's plan. He let me borrow his body, only to get it back and destroy everything. This is what I was _created _for. I can't help anyone. Least of all you."

"You did," Gilbert protested. "You saved me!"

"This is just what you want to believe."

"This is what I _know,_" Gilbert said stubbornly. "Those years we spent together were the happiest of my life. They were real. Don't you _dare _tell me they weren't."

"But _I_ am not."

"What difference does _that _make?"

Gilbert was getting confused and angry. Idly, the man could feel Alice's own frustration at the back of his mind. This argument was only hurting Oz. Why couldn't he see that it was pointless?

"It makes _all _the difference, you idiot!" Oz shouted. "I can't even control myself! Do you have any idea how many people died because of me? I caused the Tragedy of Sablier. I almost destroyed the world, _twice._ What's stopping me from doing it again? I'm better off…"

"Then make a contract with me!"

Oz jerked his head up and glared at Gilbert with fierce watery eyes. The man couldn't help but flinch. Yet he refused to back down:

"I already made a pact with Alice, and Jack lost some of your powers because of it," he insisted. "If I made a pact with you, we might break his influence completely…"

"Don't even think about it," Oz interjected. "I won't turn you into an illegal contractor!"

"It wouldn't be an illegal contract," Gilbert said in the same breath. "As messengers from the Abyss, the Baskervilles are meant to make contracts with Chains by drinking their blood. That's how I contracted Alice."

Gilbert shuddered slightly at the reminder. The less said about exactly _how _that had transpired, the better. He put the thought to the far back of his mind

"I do have a seal," he went on, "but it won't drag me into the Abyss."

Among the fear and grief, he saw a glint of relief flash across Oz's eyes. Slight as it was, the shift lifted Gilbert's spirits. He looked at Oz with daring hope:

"If we made a pact… maybe you could be freed of _your _seal."

Oz seemed to hesitate. For a second, his eyes grew distant, like he had just realized something. The boy shook his head to rid it of the thought. The anger was gone, but he still looked upset and scared.

"I can't," Oz said haltingly. "Alice is safe with you now. I don't want to make the two of you take that risk. Not after everything I put you through. Alice died, and you… I hurt you so many times… And you only stayed with me because you thought I could replace your master..."

Gilbert's chest constricted at that. His grip tightened around Oz's slight wrists. He could feel a mad pulse.

"You don't understand," Gilbert said, rueful yet firm. "We can't go back. Alice and I are traitors to the Baskervilles. _Not_ because of you," he added immediately. "But because Glen was ready to sacrifice anyone who threatened the stability of the Abyss. Even…"

Here again, Gilbert barely stopped himself in time. He had lost so much blood he had trouble thinking straight. But he was positive Alice could still hear them.

"Even his own family," he said in a low, bitter voice.

Oz's eyes widened in horror. He understood. Gilbert knew he would.

The boy's body went slack against his. Gilbert almost lost his balance when he had to steady Oz with his left hand. The boy's trembling had almost turned into spasms. His teeth were chattering:

"But…you won't let him. You will protect her. Right?"

"I will," Gilbert held him closer. "But only if you come with us. Alice and I decided this together. We are not going anywhere without you. _I_ am not going anywhere without you."

Oz's conflicted gaze turned pleading:

"Please, Gil… You've accomplished so much. I'm sure you don't need me anymore," his voice was so faint Gilbert could barely hear it. "I'm… glad we met. I wish we could have stayed together. I want to believe in your promise, I really do, but more than that… Gil, I… want you to be free."

Gilbert shook his head. He couldn't take this anymore.

"_Don't you_ _get it?_" He was clenching Oz's wrists so tightly they might bruise. "After I lost my memories, all these years, you were the only one who kept me sane. That will never change! It's true that you saved me by replacing my master, but before I knew it… I started to use that as an excuse. I made it my duty to protect you, to stay by your side… _anything_ to stay by your side. I always wished I was destined to serve you."

The boy's eyes went saucer wide. Gilbert couldn't stop:

"Even after I shot you… I could only think of the way to save you. Even if you're not my master, I can only be free by your side!"

Oz's cheeks were flushed a deep red from the fight and the fear, his eyes a surreal bright green under his golden bangs. He was still panting, but it looked like he had forgotten why. Slowly, a smile bloomed on his juvenile face. Gilbert was rendered speechless.

"You idiot," Oz's shoulders were shaking with silent laughter. "Do you even hear yourself talk? Geez..."

The boy sighed through his nose. He shivered slightly in the morning breeze, and his features seemed to waver before settling into an expression of resolve; but the smile never left. Oz's wrists gave a gentle prod and, because Gilbert knew this smile very well, because he knew Jack could never pull it off in a million years, he let them go.

"You have it all backwards," Oz told him. "You were the one who kept me sane. Ever since Father rejected me. If I'm a Chain, you're the only contractor I want."

Oz's fingers were trembling when he cradled Gilbert's face, like he was still afraid to touch. The servant didn't move. He let the boy tuck stray black locks behind his ear experimentally. Featherlike touches lingered on his cheekbones, and long fingers came to rest at the nape of his neck. Small hands and emerald eyes were pulling him in.

Gilbert didn't understand what was going on until Oz started nipping at his bottom lip.

The kiss didn't last long. No more than the time Oz needed to sneak his bleeding tongue in and wrap it around Gilbert's, so the man could taste it before he swallowed. The boy only lingered for a second, to savour the wet warmth and the intoxicating scent of tobacco. But by the time Oz pulled away, Gilbert was misty-eyed and breathless.

"_Oz…_"

"Yes, silly," Oz played with the soft locks framing his servant's face. The strong scent of cigarette smoke clung to the wavy hair. It drifted to Oz like a warm welcome as his fingers combed the knots away. "I love you."

Gilbert grabbed his shoulders.

"Why didn't you _tell_ _me?_"

"I didn't want to," Oz chuckled. "I didn't want anything to change between us. I loved to see you doubt. It was so funny and cute… And this way, I could woo girls whenever I wanted. That always drove you _crazy._"

The boy hung his head too late. Gilbert had seen the tears.

"I was cruel. Gil, I..."

The air got knocked out of his lungs. Gilbert was hugging him so tightly Oz could speak no more. Or it might have been the lump in his throat.

"You damn…" Gilbert sobbed, and somehow it sounded like laughter, like the man couldn't have been sadder or happier, "impish, reckless, stubborn, tyrannical little _brat!_"

He could hear Oz's trembling smile in his teasing voice: "You still love me."

"I _always_ loved you! Since the day we met," Gilbert said. He was pretty sure Oz hadn't loved him this long. And if he had, his young master was even more sadistic than Gilbert had ever suspected. "And I will _always_ love you!"

"I know."

Gilbert froze. Oz's voice was growing faint. The servant's left hand hurt. Something hot was flooding his throat and chest. It set his blood on fire. Looking down through a hazy fog, the man met the boy's resigned gaze.

"_Oz…!_"

"Don't worry," the boy smiled, ephemeral and mischievous. Unreachable. "I'll be right here."

Oz's eyelids drooped. A shiver ran down Gilbert's spine. Waves upon waves of power crashed into his being, each rush stronger than the last. They shook his whole frame until the man broke into uncontrollable spasms. He could only cling to the frail shoulders of his young master to keep steady.

The black rabbits were merging once again. Gilbert felt Raven's struggles as the bird fought the overwhelming presence of the foreign twin Chains. For what felt like an eternity, the boy was his only anchor in a storm of destructive power.

Then the seal was back in place. Emerald green eyes turned stone cold.

"That was quite impressive, Gilbert," the deep voice slurred out of Oz's lips like an exotic snake. "And a huge mistake on your part."

Rage shook Gilbert out of the aftershock.

"_Jack._"

The possessed boy's smile was humourless:

"Why are you so surprised? You were the one who got Oz out of this body to join Alice. Naturally, that only leaves me in control."

"Get out," Gilbert seethed. "I won't let you hurt Oz ever again."

"I can't get out," Jack chuckled. "This is my body, after all."

"That's not true," Gilbert said. He sank his fingers into the boy's shoulders, and hoped Jack wouldn't notice that he could barely stand. "Oz was born and grew up in this era. You are nothing but a ghost hijacking his body."

Jack shook his head:

"This body is the one I was born and grew up in, until I was forsaken by the power of the Abyss. I lent it to Oz long enough for him to collect the fragments of my soul. Now that you made a contract with him and Alice, the three of us are bound to B-Rabbit."

"Liar…"

"The seal is still on my chest," Jack put a hand to his host's heart. "And when the clock strikes twelve, the four of us will be dragged into the Abyss."

"_Liar!_"

Unmindful of Gilbert's iron grip, Jack unbuttoned Oz's shirt. Horror-struck, Gilbert got a glimpse of the black mark. The seal was a quarter to completion.

"It is the logical conclusion of your foolish actions," Jack said neutrally. "Then again, logic never was your strong point, was it, Gilbert? You only ever followed your feelings. This is why you can't harm me. Not when I look like this."

Gilbert couldn't answer. Jack smiled, glassy-eyed:

"Of course, there is a way out of this: you could still reject Oz and be freed of his influence. That would also get rid of me. Since the needle has moved this far, it's too late to save this body."

A pause. Gilbert felt nauseous. His vision swam, and the black needle seemed to tilt ever closer to its starting point. Still his tongue remained frozen in his mouth.

"You won't? Come now. There is nothing to regret. Try as you might, Oz was always beyond saving. You heard him: he would rather let you live free of him."

There was no answer but the chirping of morning birds and a distant clatter from the manor. Jack trapped Gilbert's forearm in a death grip.

"_Just do it,_" the ghost hissed. Panic gave a sharp edge to his voice. "You won't be apart for long. I'll just take the world with me, and then you can join Oz in the Abyss. _Give my Chain back, Gilbert._"

"Stop pestering my servant, will you, Jack?"

Jack raised his eyebrows and tilted his head to the side. His smile turned grim:

"Oz. I see you've learnt from the times I took over your body."

Gilbert's face answered with a smile of its own, weighted by irony. The two contractors were close. When Gilbert's host looked into Jack's eyes, he could see his own red irises reflected there.

The colour didn't suit Gilbert at all, Oz decided, and neither did his boyish voice. But he would make do.

"Not exactly," Oz answered. "Gil is exhausted. That idiot was about to lose consciousness. I promised that I would be there to support him if he ever fell. It's as simple as that."

"You seem to be in a better mood," Jack said lightly. His long fingers loosened their grip and traced the contours of Gilbert's wrist. "I take it Gilbert's body is to your liking, then?"

Oz rolled his eyes and let go of his former body's shoulders. Good thing Gilbert was out cold, or his poor servant would have died of embarrassment from the innuendo.

"Actually, Gil is right." Oz crossed Gilbert's arms and pointed one finger at Jack. The man's features set into the scowl that Gilbert usually directed at Alice when he scolded her. "I have used this body for fifteen years now, and I'm rather fond of it. I would like to have it back."

Jack shook his head sadly:

"You didn't listen to anything I said."

"I did."

"Yet you keep on burdening Gilbert and Alice with your existence? This is rather selfish of you."

"It is," Oz admitted. Idly, he felt Gilbert's self-depreciating smile creep back on the man's lips. "I was hoping that Gilbert's plan would work… He must be rubbing off on me."

Jack smiled indulgently. He put a hand on Gilbert's arm:

"You can still set them free."

But Oz merely shook his head:

"I can't. They won't let me."

And in spite of the bitter resignation he felt, Oz couldn't help but feel a twisted pride in that fact. He hated himself a little more for it. But he could still feel the bite of Alice's anger at the back of his mind, urging him to go on, and Gilbert's comforting presence, steady even in sleep.

Oz had thought he had accepted his fate. But in the end, he just couldn't let them go.

"They've gone so far to protect me," he said softly. "The least I can do is to try and stay alive."

Thin pale fingers closed around Gilbert's cravat. There was a mad glint dancing in Jack's eyes. Oz couldn't help but shudder a little. Even with their inversed height difference, the ghost's mere presence was enough to put him on edge.

"You don't understand, Oz. You don't have a choice," Jack's fist clenched into a knuckle-white grip. "Either you break this second contract right now, or we all sink into the Abyss. All for _nothing._"

"You are the one who doesn't understand," Oz said, grateful for his own practiced detachment and how steady his voice came out. "I am not threatening you, and I am not asking for a favour either. This is my right as your Chain. You gave me a human body in exchange of a wish. That's how a contract works. It can't be broken until I fulfil my part of the bargain."

A glimmer of interest shone in Jack's eyes at that. He furrowed his eyebrows thoughtfully:

"Something tells me you aren't going to break the chains again that easily."

Gilbert's eyes glowed an angry red when Oz frowned at him:

"That," he said, his words harsh from raw memories, "isn't your wish."

"Of course you would know all about it," the ghost said.

Oz ignored the sarcasm:

"I only realized just now. Something was bugging me about your memories. I don't remember contracting Lacie. Yet in that winter when she met you, she used B-Rabbit's powers to save you, even though I was only a plush rabbit at the time. Don't you think that's strange?"

All traces of ill humour had vanished from Jack's face as soon as he had uttered Lacie's name. Oz felt a bitter lump form in his throat. He had been mulling these memories over and over during his imprisonment, unable to think of anything but. After his fight with Gilbert, things were finally clicking into place. Why Jack had been rejected by the Abyss, the fact that Alice could take Oz's appearance, the power that they shared... the very nature of B-Rabbit's power. Who Lacie's Chain had been.

Oz didn't like where this was leading him. But it was too late to turn back.

"I can grant your wish, Jack. I will bring you to Lacie."

Jack's eyes were open wide, so enraptured by Oz's words that it felt like the ghost was staring straight into his soul. Calculating, looking for any sign of deceit. Oz held his gaze steadily.

"What do you mean?"

An ear-piercing roar cut through the question. The two contractors looked up at the sky in alarm. The Jabberwocky was soaring through the morning sky, blocking up the sun with its giant wings. Oz raised Gilbert's arms over his head out of reflex.

The dragon almost knocked the two contractors over as it flew past them. Oz barely had the time to glimpse the growing fireball in its mouth. The giant Chain came to hover before the broken windows of Pandora Headquarters, drew back its long neck…

"Break!" panic surged through Oz like a waterfall. "Sharon!"

The Jabberwocky fired. The roaring of Chains could be heard from where they stood.

"Little Echo! _No!_"

Oz made a run for the manor, and the sharp pain in Gilbert's limbs almost made him collapse on the spot. Even with the Baskerville's healing ability, his wounds were still deep. Oz felt nausea overcome him as he struggled not to trip, determined to get to them before it was too late. Jack took him by the wrist before he could take another step.

"What," the ghost repeated, unmindful of the dragon ten feet above their heads, "do you _mean?_"

"Let go!" Oz tugged on Jack's hand, but he was too weakened to free himself. "We have to help them!"

"_Answer me,_" Jack said dangerously.

So Oz told him, in two rushed sentences.

Jack's face lit up with such raw, desperate hope that Oz thought he might be sick. The Chain went on, past caring:

"We need a Child of Misfortune in order to reach her. We have to go help Break and Vincent!"

Jack had already let go of him. With a little rattling noise, he bent over and retrieved Elliot's sword from the humid ground.

"Very well, Oz. I'll help you out," he ran alongside him with sword in hand, a merry smile on his too young face. "And thank you. I could never have wished for a better Chain."

The offhanded insult, the gaping wounds all over Gilbert's body, _my fault, all my fault, _the sickening sight of Jack in his former body holding Elliot's sword, the smell of burning wood and metal above and the mighty roars of the Jabberwocky, Oz let it all drown in the adrenaline rush as he looked up at the flames and called to Alice. In the next second, the giant rabbit had taken hold of them both, and they were jumping into the chaos of the upper floor.

"**You had **_**better**_** know what you're doing, Oz,"** the rabbit growled mid-air.

Oz had no time to answer as he was dropped to the floor alongside Jack, who winced. Oz couldn't help but glance sideways at the mark peering from the slightly open shirt of his former body. The needle had just moved to ten. _We're running out of time._

Just as the thought crossed his mind, a feline Chain barged into his line of sight. Before he knew it, the scythe was in his hands and Oz was slicing at the beast. With a yowl, the lion vanished into a rain of dust. Charlotte Baskerville burst out of the cloud, knife in hand, her eyes a fiery red:

"_Found you,_ traitor," she grinned and aimed for Gilbert's heart, only to be blocked by Jack.

"Leave them out of this, Lottie," the ghost said, his voice even as he dodged and countered Charlotte's furious attempts to stab him. "I believe I'm the one you're after."

"Fair point, Jack," she said between swipes. Her crooked smirk was turning more demented with every strike. "Took you long enough to come out."

"I'm sorry it had to come to this," the ghost said forlornly. "After it took so long to gain your trust and Glen's."

An enraged snarl broke through the clanging. Charlotte's voice got higher pitched until it threatened to break:

"I should have killed you first back in Sablier, you _bastard!_"

Jack laughed it off: "Call a spade a spade."

Oz couldn't keep track of their fight. Up into the sky, Alice was holding off the Jabberwocky with her spiked chains and mighty fists, jumping from window to window to avoid the blasts. Suddenly, when she hopped back into the open, Oz glimpsed a white figure in her fist.

"Break!" he exclaimed with equal amounts of fear and hope.

Next thing he knew, something was pushing at his back and there was a gunshot. When Oz turned round, he found Vincent at his back, smoking gun in hand. A red-clad figure dropped to the ground.

"Take better care of my brother's body," the man snapped at him and fired another shot. He was wearing Gilbert's hat, Oz realized bemusedly.

"W-Why aren't you with Break?" Oz asked before he could stop himself, his scythe slicing through incoming Chains as if it had a mind of its own.

"I dumped him to look for Gil, of course," Vincent said. He straightened the hat on his unruly hair swiftly. "The Hatter seemed to be faring well enough on his own. I met Lady Sharon on my way here. She was injured, so I left Echo to tend to her. Good thing Lottie was in a hurry."

It seemed he was about to say more, but he suddenly clapped his mouth shut and pulled Oz by the wrist. In the next second, the whole room shook and sent everyone tumbling to the floor in a cacophony of growls and crumbling debris. Through the stars and white dust invading his vision, Oz saw the huge grotesque head of the bleeding Jabberwocky gasp for air. Alice had its neck pinned to the ground.

"Alice, Jack, let's get out of here!" Oz ran around the dragon's head to get to Alice and the man she held in her hand. "We need to get to Sharon and Little Echo!"

"She left Eques in my shadow," Vincent added belatedly as he moved backwards towards the giant Chains and kept firing meticulous shots. "This should take no time at all."

A bullet got Lottie in the head. Jack took the opportunity to run up to them. Oz got another fleeting look at his chest and saw that the needle was still moving. The ground seemed to waver beneath his feet. It felt like it would give in any second now, ready to swallow him whole, back into the darkness he had come from.

'Gil,' Oz thought desperately, his heart hammering in his servant's chest. 'Wake up. You have to wake up...'

Jack and he reached Break at the same time, followed shortly by Vincent. A black wall was already rising all around them. But Alice was still in rabbit form, the clock was ticking and the scythe wouldn't go away, hitching to slice through the surrounding golden chains, Oz had no idea how to stop it…

'I need you to activate the seal,' Oz urged Gilbert's slumbering spirit at the back of his mind. 'Please, please, wake up…!'

He could feel his contractor stirring at his call, willing exhaustion away. Oz clung to this bit of consciousness, kept shouting at Gilbert over the bridge of their contract, when a wave of darkness rose from Eques' shadow and swept the group along. Alice let go of the Jabberwocky at the last minute. The last thing they heard was Lottie's voice, screaming at the other contractors to rummage through the ground floor and seal off all the exits.

They landed in a mass of limbs, metal and black fur. Oz had no idea which body was his anymore. He was only dimly aware of Gilbert's presence close by, just shy of reach.

"Miss Sharon," Break's breathless voice cut through the thick silence. "Are you alright?"

"**Get off my face, you damn clown,"** Alice growled close to Oz's ear.

Looking up, Oz glimpsed a mop of blonde hair that might have been Jack's or Vincent's. Over that, he saw Sharon rush over to Break with one arm wrapped over her stomach. Oz caught a glimpse of torn silk and bloody bandages on her fair skin. Everything looked and sounded fuzzy. Oz felt like he might throw up.

"Gil…" he muttered around a coated tongue.

There was a blur of white and a tug at his wrist. Oz was pulled to his feet. He came face to face with a mask of grey. He blinked. Echo's face cleared before him.

They remained frozen on unsteady legs and stared at each other in silence. Her hair was covered in dust and debris, her cheeks powdered with chalk, her clear eyes huge with worry. Oz couldn't recall a time when he had seen her so open. He wanted to comfort her, but couldn't seem to find his voice. The scythe was still in his hand.

He heard a coughing fit behind him, violent enough to break the spell and make him turn round.

"I will be fine," Break said raggedly. "I think our main concern should be: what do we do with him?"

The sight made Oz wobble harder on his feet. Jack had been surrounded. Break's sword was at his throat and Vincent's gun at his temple. Alice and Eques were lurking in the shadows behind the ghost. Oz could feel the rabbit's growling all the way to his gut. The weapon in his hand felt heavier still. Dimly, he realized that Echo had stepped forward to stand between him and Jack, knife in hand.

Jack was standing among his enemies in the half-destroyed corridor with an amiable smile on his face. White powder was falling from the roof on his hair like snow. The ghost had one hand clenched loosely around the hilt of Elliot's sword, the other to his half-exposed chest. The clock read eleven.

"Don't kill him," Oz blurted out.

Vincent's finger only curled tighter around the trigger. His expression was set in rigid anger and grief, the very picture of betrayal. Oz didn't dare move a muscle lest the man shoot on impulse. There was nothing but contempt in Break's eye as he stared Jack down, his stance unwavering in spite of the trail of blood at the corner of his mouth. Sharon kept close to him.

"We don't have a choice, Lord Oz," she said without tearing her eyes away from their captive. "If we don't finish him now, he will be cast into the Abyss."

"That's the plan," Jack said cheerfully. "The one Oz came up with, that is. We are going to meet the Will of the Abyss."

Break narrowed his eye at that. Jack's polite gaze drifted from his to Vincent's without wavering:

"We would appreciate it if one of you two gentlemen could lend us his help."

There was an ominous click.

"Don't do it, Vincent," Jack said gently. "Gilbert wouldn't want this."

Vincent drew in a sharp breath, seemed to hold back the urge to scream. His hand was shaking madly around the gun. Break's expression turned to one of intense disgust.

"Oz," he asked in a low voice. "Do you intend to change the past?"

"No," Oz answered in a rush. "I found a time paradox in Jack's memories. I think it might be part of what caused the distortion of the Abyss. The Will of the Abyss needs my power to fix it, but only people born with red eyes can meet her. I need your help to reach her."

"**And **_**I**_** need to get my sister out of the Abyss,"** Alice interjected.

This, more than anything, seemed to capture Break's interest. Yet Oz's borrowed eyes kept darting back to the seal on Jack's chest and the slow, relentless progression of the needle. He thought he could hear the seconds ticking away, pulsing at his temple like blood, Gil, _Gil, please wake up!_

"There's no time. I can't get my powers under control," Oz stammered. He was clutching at Gilbert's bloody chest without meaning to. Was his heart even still beating? Was it the clock? "I can't get through to Gil… At this rate, we will be stuck like this forever… We will…"

"I'll handle this," Break sheathed his sword. "Time to end the masquerade. Would you give me a hand, milady?"

Sharon had already kneeled down and started drawing a pentacle with a piece of chalk. Break completed the drawing while Vincent held Jack at gunpoint. Sharon motioned for Oz, Jack and the giant rabbit to stand together on the pentacle. Once they were all gathered, Break slammed his swordstick in the centre.

There was a flash, a jolt, a world in black and white turned on its axis in a burst of pain. Oz was left panting on the floor. His body felt heavy and warm, almost feverishly so. It felt so strange, yet so disturbingly familiar, Oz wanted out of his skin.

"Well," Break's voice seemed to come from very far away. "I think that settles it."

"What… _Oz!_"

Hearing Gilbert's voice at last prompted Oz to open his eyes. Here they were, all three beings that shared his powers, all pinned to the floor by the bluish light of the restraining pentacle. Jack down on his knees and breathing heavily, eyes trained on the broken clock on his chest in anticipation. Alice in her human body, clad in the spare of red clothes and white ribbons she had gotten from her bond with B-Rabbit, who struggled to sit up while glaring daggers at Break and Jack in turn.

And Gilbert, back in his own body, his bloody clothes clinging to his skin, his pale face covered in sweat as he stared at Oz from his position on the ground. He looked small and scared; it felt like they had jumped back in time. Back at the coming of age ceremony, when everything had gone mad; back in Sablier, a helpless little boy bleeding to death at Oz's feet...

Oz closed his eyes tight.

"**The seal…"** was all he could manage, in a low growl that he refused to acknowledge as his own voice.

With a sigh, Break slammed his swordstick a second time. There was a patter of feet when the human captives stood as one. Oz didn't even try to get up from his slumped position on the floor. He felt too big as it was. His long ears twitched as he waited with batted breath.

"Oz, it's not working!" he heard Gilbert's panicked voice. "The needle has moved too far! _Oz!_"

The voice sounded much closer. Reluctantly, Oz opened his eyes to meet Gilbert's terrified golden ones.

"**Then we don't have much time left,"** Oz said in a low voice. **"I'm so sorry, Gil… I have to meet the Will of the Abyss and ask for her help."**

The man was shaking hard. His eyes were filling up with tears. Gilbert held it all in with a shuddering breath:

"I'll go with you."

He meant it as reassurance, but Gilbert could as well have hit him, it hurt so badly. Oz silently and vehemently cursed himself for all the times he had felt accomplished when Gilbert had sworn to always be by his side. They didn't even have a choice in the matter anymore.

"Will you come back?"

The quiet inquiry startled Oz out of his gloomy thoughts. Those were the first words Echo had spoken since they had arrived. She was looking up at him with the same concern she had shown while Oz was possessing Gilbert.

"**I will,"** he answered before thinking.

He regretted it almost immediately. His ears drooped uneasily. They both knew what had happened the last time Oz had made this kind of promise: Philippe's father had been killed and the child had become an illegal contractor. A hint of wetness appeared in Echo's clear eyes. All the same, she nodded and pulled a pistol from under her wide sleeve, which she handed to Gilbert.

"Master Vincent used most of the bullets," she warned him. Her voice had recovered its deadpan tone.

"What about you?" Gilbert asked her. His voice was raspy from repressed tears. "What are you going to do about Master Glen?"

"I'll help Lady Sharon escape as Master Vincent ordered me to," she said neutrally.

Oz peered at Vincent warily. The man had opened his mouth like he was about to protest. In the end, he just shook his head with an irritated scowl. Gilbert gripped his pistol tightly as he looked from his brother to Echo with growing anguish:

"I'm sorry. I dragged you both into this... I'm so sorry..."

Oz wanted to scold him, tell Gilbert that it was _his_ fault, never his servant's, and why did he always have to blame himself… but something in Echo's even stare stopped him. There was some hesitation there, like there was something she was dying to say but couldn't quite find the words.

"It's alright," she said after a pause. "Noise is loyal to Master Vincent, and I…"

She glanced Oz's way, and words seemed to fail her once more. She inclined her head.

"I'll handle things here," she said quietly. "Just go."

Oz stared at her in bemused wonder. He wasn't sure if it was from the instinctive protectiveness he felt around young girls ever since he had been given sentience, from the time Echo and he had spent together on St Brigitte's Day – _did it make a difference after all? Did I really help her? – _or the incongruity of her being concerned about someone like him, but the Chain felt a surge of affection warm his heart.

"**Little Echo…"**

"_Just Echo!_" she snapped, and her whole body shook with her cry of protest.

"**Thank you."**

Echo looked up with a jolt. A bright blush was peering from the cracks in her mask of chalk, and her lips were drawn in a tight line. She turned away in the same swift motion.

"This is all well and good," Break's voice cut in. "But you are still short a red-eyed jinx, am I right? Count me in."

Yet another couching fit swallowed his last sentence, and the man almost fell to his knees before Sharon caught him.

"Break, you can't be serious…!"

"Don't try to stop me, Gilbert," Break cut the servant off. "This is a purpose I intend to fulfil. I swore to grant her wish."

Oz's ears perked up at that. Her? Did he mean the Will of the Abyss? The Chain peered at Gilbert, but his servant looked just as confused as Oz was. Sharon, on the other hand, showed no hint of surprise.

"You can't go in your state, Break," she told him softly, her face grave. Oz could tell that it cost her to turn Break away from his goal, when all this time she had been doing everything in her power to help him. Yet when she turned to them, there was nothing but determination in her eyes.

"She told Break that she didn't want to be the Will of the Abyss anymore," Sharon told them.

Oz straightened in spite of himself. He stilled when the tip of his ears brushed against the crumbling roof. The Chain knew dangerously little about the Will of the Abyss after the Tragedy had driven her mad, but if what Sharon said was true, it might play to their advantage.

"Of course she doesn't," Alice growled exasperatedly. "That's why I'm going to get her. And Raven too," she added, turning to Gilbert, which prompted a startled "what" from him: "We had a deal, remember? First we settle accounts with Jack and save Oz, then we go back for my sister."

It seemed to take several seconds for Gilbert to remember what she was referring to, but his eyes lit up at last, and he nodded. The man turned to Break with purpose:

"You don't have to come, Break," he told him. "I'll go as your left eye."

Break twitched.

"What the hell are you…"

"You saved Oz for me," Gilbert finished before Break got a chance to further object. "Just like you promised. It's about time I paid my debt to you."

All the stubbornness seemed to vanish from Break's face, replaced by disbelief. His grip tightened around Sharon's shoulder. He averted his eye. The young woman directed a forlorn, grateful smile at Gilbert. Oz felt prouder of his servant than he had any right to be.

"Break, was it?" Jack asked lightly. "Think of it this way: the Baskervilles are still after us, and the situation here is sure to get complicated. You wouldn't want to leave Miss Sharon without a knight, would you?"

Break turned a deadpan stare towards the ghost. Jack held out a pendant hanging from a thin chain:

"This is yours, I think? I took it back from Lottie. Please don't hold it against her, she was always overprotective."

"The blood mirror!" Sharon cupped one hand over her mouth.

Oz noticed the way Break tested the stability of his feet before he deftly detached himself from Sharon and walked up to Jack. In spite of the smooth confidence he was showing, Oz couldn't help but feel a pang of worry.

"Why thank you, Mister Hero," Break snatched the chain from Jack's hand and passed it around his neck. "I wish you a pleasant journey into the Abyss, then. Send my best regards to Alice, will you?"

Jack's only answer was an obliging smile. Behind him, Vincent still had his gun pressed to his temple. Oz could see Gilbert trembling in his peripheral vision.

"Is there no other way, Oz?" the man asked. "We can't just…"

"I'll go, brother," Vincent's voice cut in.

"But…"

"On one condition," Vincent's mismatched eyes turned to slits. "If we meet the Will of the Abyss, you should be the one to make a wish."

Gilbert started at that, but recovered quickly.

"I trust Oz," he told his brother firmly. "Whatever wish he wants fulfilled, I'll help him grant it."

There was no mistaking the resentment in Vincent's eyes when he turned to the Chain. Oz couldn't help a shiver, which was thankfully hard to notice with his current appearance. He _really _wasn't deserving of anyone's trust, for dragging them all back in this hell they had fought so hard to escape. All but Jack.

"**Jack will handle it,"** Oz said softly, yet his deep voice still made the roof rumble. **"He is the only one who can convince the Will of the Abyss."**

"And don't you try anything funny," Alice pointed a warning finger at Jack. "You'll ask her exactly what Oz told you to, and that's it. Otherwise, you're dead meat."

"Don't worry," Jack grinned at her, seeming to find her suspicion absurdly funny. "It _is_ my wish, after all."

"What?" Gilbert asked, alarmed. "Oz, what does that mea…"

"We found them! Glen Baskerville, Sir, _we found them!_"

Oz turned round with a jolt, his black fur bristling in startled fear. Two men clad in Pandora's uniform had just appeared at the window and were waving their way. They disappeared as fast as they had come, running in opposite directions with terrified cries.

"**Everybody get down!"** Oz shouted and got on all fours to shield the others with his body. In the next second, the wall exploded.

There was the inhuman screech of the Jabberwocky, a detonation and roaring fire that went to eat at Oz's skin. The rabbit curled up on himself to cover the others as best as he could. He thought he heard his name somewhere in the commotion; he couldn't be sure. The flaring pain, the nauseating smell of burning flesh and fur, it was all too much for Oz to take. All sounds drowned in a cry of agony that seemed to come from everywhere at once.

It stopped just as suddenly, in a burst of blue flames that forced Oz's eyes open. The entire corridor had been destroyed; the rabbit could see the sky from his position on the ground. He barely even felt the pain of his burning wounds as he took in the view.

Two gigantic black birds were facing each other against the rising sun. Their monstrous beak and mouth were dripping with long flames. Their talons and claws dug into the ground. It looked like they could take to the sky and drag the entire world with them.

"**Run,"** Oz said in a ragged growl, unable to look away from the scene long enough to make sure the others had gotten away.

Gilbert was there before him. The man stood close to the Raven with a revolver in one hand, Elliot's retrieved sword in the other, and faced his former master. Oz could tell that he was shaking. The rabbit felt a horrible sense of déjà vu.

All of a sudden it felt like he could read Leo's expression from this distance: impassive features, every step filled with purpose as the possessed boy walked up to them, in stark contrast with the furious storm in his black eyes. Those accusing eyes trapped Gilbert as surely as they burnt Oz.

There was a black blur. Before Glen could come in hearing distance, Alice jumped on Gilbert's back. The startled man staggered forward and barely recovered his balance. Alice plucked his ears firmly.

"Stop it, Glen!" she screamed over Gilbert's head and threw her legs around his chest so she wouldn't fall off. The man hissed in pain when her heels dug into his ribs. "Raven and Oz are _my_ contractors! Leave us alone!"

It felt like time had frozen for them. Glen stood before them, his pale face stark against the black dragon wings that embraced his figure from behind. The beast's feral slit yellow eyes squinted over his head ominously. The possessed boy's expression was clearly visible now, his surreal eyes burning with one betrayal too many. For all of three seconds, Glen Baskerville didn't move.

For the last time, Oz summoned the scythe. He heard Jack gasp.

'Midnight.'

The earth opened under them in a giant black void. Glen jumped back when the chains burst from the darkness and snaked their way around the giant rabbit and three humans, but Vincent threw himself at his brother and caught him in a tight hug. Gilbert returned the embrace with Alice hanging precariously on his back, and the chains encircled all three. Jack had already started to sink. Raven vanished, but Gilbert never looked away from his former master.

When he told him: "I am sorry, Lord Glen," among the nightmarish rattle of chains, Oz heard Jack say: "Goodbye, Oswald."

Merciless metal sank in his fresh burns and wounds. Oz lifted his head to let out a howl. He saw a cloudless sky and a flock of birds. The rising sun lit their feathers a blazing gold. Then he was dragged down and darkness closed on them.

'Back into the rabbit hole,' the Chain thought derisively as the links bit into his flesh like slithering spiked snakes and dragged him down, down into a void that got darker with every yank of the chains, further down.

Their descent seemed endless. Oz wouldn't even know they were falling if it weren't for the coils pulling them. He couldn't see or hear a thing, couldn't tell whether the others were still with him. When he tried to call out, instead of releasing a sound, Oz almost choked on empty air. It felt like sinking without the water's weight to break his fall.

It was an eternity before Oz recovered any of his senses. An old scent washed over him, thick with melancholy. It was faint, but the memory of it, along with the shock of finally smelling _something_ after his endless dive, hit the rabbit like a shockwave. Oz almost wanted to cover his nose from the strength of it. It was a sweet smell, tinted with moss. Oz was reminded of candlelight, dusty plush and dry flowers.

When he opened his eyes, Oz found himself in the same colourful room the pocket watch had first sent him to, with its red checkerboard floor and four walls made out of wooden shelves. Countless dolls were falling from them with delighted cackles. Invisible strings broke their fall, and for several seconds they just hung there in a circle, six feet above ground. In the middle, Jack was holding a crying white Alice in his arms.

"You came," the little girl sobbed into his chest. "You came for me!"

Jack gave her a twirl. In a flash, Oz saw his flushed cheeks and exhilarated grin as he spun the Will of the Abyss around. The dolls started a mad round dance around them, clicking and chortling. The possessed boy and girl kept calling each other's names in overjoyed voices as they danced together like two lost children who had just been reunited and could scarcely believe it.

Oz looked away from the mad scene. His gaze landed on the three of Vincent, Gilbert and Alice, who lay sprawled across the floor three feet away. The little girl was rubbing her forehead and grumbling in slight pain, seemingly unmindful of her sister and Jack's antics. Gilbert, on the other hand, gaped at them in open disbelief. He pulled himself together when Vincent glared at the dancing duo and made to get up. Gilbert held him back by the shoulder and shook his head, ever wary in unfamiliar territory.

The movement, however slight, seemed to draw attention from the dolls. A blonde wigged crowned puppet dressed in red left the round dance to hover above the two men. As soon as she spotted it, Alice jumped to her feet and held out an arm before the two brothers. She stared the doll down. It whirled around with convulsive shrieks:

'_He's back!'_ The toy's plastic eyes rolled in their sockets, _'Vincent came back to cut us to pieces!'_

The Will of the Abyss froze in Jack's arms. The dolls all flew away with a great racket. They screamed threats and warnings in mechanic voices as they circled the three humans without daring to come too close. Gilbert picked up the sword carefully, his other hand still holding onto Vincent's shoulder in a silent command to be careful. Seemingly unbothered, his brother was reloading his gun with the hint of a playful smirk on his lips.

Gilbert met Oz's eyes above Alice's head and motioned for him to come closer with a tilt of his chin. Oz crawled over with careful steps. The ground seemed to shake under the weight of his huge black paws. The Chain cast an anxious glance at the Will of the Abyss. The little girl was holding on to Jack for dear life and hiding her face in his chest while her toys kept on shrieking around them.

"Why?" she sniffed and pointed a trembling finger at the group. "Why did you bring Vincent and Gilbert? They hate me! I don't want them here, Jack!"

"Don't worry," Jack held her close, his smile ever serene among the chaos. "They won't stay long. I needed their help in order to reach you. We should thank them, don't you think?"

The little girl shook her head vehemently:

"They are _mean!_" she hiccupped. "Vincent killed Cheshire! Gilbert tried to kill me!"

"That's all in the past," Jack hushed her softly. "They are all grown up now, see? They won't hurt you again."

The Will of the Abyss peered over his arm like a shy child who didn't dare move away from the safety of her parent's embrace to go and play with the other kids. She flinched visibly when she saw the murderous glare on Vincent's face, and her face dissolved into more cries. With an exasperated snarl, Alice punched a squeaking teddy bear out of her way and stepped forward, beckoning everyone's attention:

"I told you I'd be back, Alice," she told her twin. "No one will hurt you as long as I'm here, so stop crying already."

The tears did stop, but the expression the Will of the Abyss was wearing didn't reassure Oz in the least. Her snow-white hands were still digging into Jack's back like claws. She made him turn around with surprising strength in order to face her sister:

"You are going to take him away," she sobbed, her amethyst eyes defiant in spite of the wet trails on her cheeks. "You came to take Jack away from me, didn't you?"

'_Bad girl! Bad girl!' _the toys chanted among the clatter of disarticulated wooden limbs and snickers. A few bounced off Oz's large body. The rabbit shook them off and came to stand behind the two brothers to shield them from the raving toys. Alice stomped her foot on the floor:

"Be quiet, you!" she told them indignantly before turning back to her sister: "So what? That's what you wanted, wasn't it? That bastard messed you up enough as it is!"

"Stop it!" the Will of the Abyss shouted, the sobs creeping back into her voice. "How can you be so cruel? You already have the world all for yourself! You got out of the Abyss and left me all alone! Jack is the only one who… the only one…"

Her voice broke and she buried her face in Jack's shoulder once more, her whole frame shaking with distressed cries:

"Don't leave me," she begged him, her voice muffled by the clothes and tears. "Make them go away… Please stay with me forever, Jack..."

The ghost was making small soothing noises as he caressed her white back and hair comfortingly. His gestures were smooth and gentle, but Oz could see an odd glint in his vivid green eyes, the first signs of impatience. The rabbit got scared. One wrong word, and it all could come crashing down.

"**Alice, that's not true!"** he said impulsively.

The Will of the Abyss started. Slowly, she turned towards him, her stare uncertain and somehow cold in her distress. _'You spoke out of order!'_ the toys guffawed close to his ears, and Jack raised a questioning eyebrow at him, but all Oz could see was the terrified little girl in his arms.

Memories were rushing in the rabbit's head, of endless days in the dark place the Abyss had morphed into, spent watching the smile disappear from Alice's face. His lonely, fragile, miserable Alice, who so desperately wished for a friend, but was too scared to go out and face the world like her sister had. She had only ever had Oz and her sister before Jack came along, and after that, she had drifted further away until even they had become unable to reach her.

"**It wasn't only Jack who came to visit you,"** Oz told her, struggling for the right words. This Alice was mad. She was desperate and unstable. But Oz couldn't forget the little girl he had watched over for so long. He couldn't bear to see her like this.

"**There was another man called Kevin Regnard. He made a promise to you, remember?"**

To his relief, there was an immediate spark of recognition in her tearful eyes. Oz heard a ruffling sound and looked down. Gilbert had come to stand beside him.

"That's right," he told the Will of the Abyss, slow and wary, but surprisingly gentle, like a man trying to coax a mistrustful wild animal. "He sent us here. We came to grant your wish in his stead. He is waiting for you on the other side."

"Kevin…sent you?" she repeated uncertainly, her voice roughed from too much crying.

"The clown sent _him_ because he's dying and too much of a wreck to come himself," Alice pointed at Gilbert with a thumb and shrugged. "Whatever. You're coming with us."

The Will of the Abyss' eyes widened in sudden fright. Her grip on Jack slackened. Her hands were shaking wildly.

"Kevin is dying…?"

The rabbit was surprised to find such deep concern in her eyes. The Will of the Abyss quivered and seemed to close up on herself, her thin fingers twining the ribbons on the front of her dress and getting tangled up in them. She didn't seem to realize she was doing it. Jack put his hands on her shoulders:

"You should go," he whispered to her, but Oz's long ears caught the words right and clear. The girl's small hands wound tighter in the silken bows.

"I'm scared," she said in the same tone. "Everyone hates me outside..."

"Of course not. They don't even know you yet. Besides," Jack leaned forward to rest his chin on her naked shoulder and winked at her. "I'm sure you remember everything I told you about the outside world. Gardens, balls, operas… Don't you want to see them for yourself?"

Her white cheeks turned a bright red. She looked down, away from Jack's knowing eyes.

"…Will you be with me?" she asked feebly. Oz suspected she knew the answer.

Jack's smile turned despondent. He embraced the frail girl from behind in a tight hug. Much like the ghost had hugged Oz every time he wanted to use his powers.

The rabbit felt his fur stand up on end. He had seen his fair share of Jack's talent for winning people over, and this Alice had always been the most receptive to it. It was part of the plan. Oz had counted on it. He had been desperate. Now that he saw it at work, it was getting unbearable to watch.

"I'm sorry, Alice," the murmur sent a shiver down Oz's spine. "I have a last request before we part."

"_No!_" the Will of the Abyss tried to cover her ears, but her left hand remained tangled in the ribbons. It waved helplessly like a trapped white bird and came to land on Jack's hand instead. It was shaking like a leaf. "Don't go… You _promised!_"

"That's why I have to do this," Jack smoothly pried her other hand from her right ear and held it in his. "I have to go back. Otherwise, it will be like we had never met."

"Good riddance," Oz heard Alice grumble next to him, but it got lost in the clicking of the curious toys that surrounded them.

The other two humans stayed silent. They were straining their ears, Oz guessed, anxious to find out what the plan was about. Doubts were creeping like insects under his bestial skin. The Chain prayed to whatever deity there was – _the Core of the Abyss? Could they even trust Him? – _that he had been right; everything would work out in the end…

"Go back?" the Will of the Abyss asked, intrigued in spite of herself. "But where?"

Just then, Jack lifted his head to cast Oz a conniving glance. The sick feeling in his stomach only got heavier.

"A long time ago," the ghost told the little girl, "I was attacked by thugs. They beat me up badly; I would have died then, if it weren't for the help of a young girl and her Chain."

As before, the mere mention of her was enough to cast a heavy shadow over Jack's eyes. Nonetheless, his patient smile remained on his lips.

"Her name is Lacie. Her Chain is the Blood-Stained Black Rabbit."

Gilbert gasped. Oz didn't dare look his way. The Will of the Abyss was still clutching Jack's hand, looking lost and confused. Her violet eyes drifted over Oz and Alice like she had just noticed them:

"But… that's…"

"Well, not quite the Black Rabbit," Jack hummed, looking amused. "I almost didn't recognize him; and he didn't seem to have his powers in their entirety. He only used chains instead of his scythe."

"What does that mean?" Gilbert asked, his voice tense with agitation. It sounded like his patience was wearing thin. Oz still couldn't bring himself to look him in the eye. Jack only smiled:

"It means that the destructive powers of the Black Rabbit had been fragmented, as they are meant to be. They are too formidable to be contained in a single body for a long period of time, you see. Rather fittingly, the original twin rabbits, who went by the name of Oz, had the power to switch bodies."

"Naturally, the same goes for Oz's powers," Jack's expression almost looked hungry. Oz was grateful for the fact that the Will of the Abyss couldn't see it. "In the past, your sister was able to steal them for herself, until Oz borrowed my body in order to make a contract with her. When Gilbert contracted them both, he and I became the contractors of the current twin Chains known as B-Rabbit: Oz and Alice. Now, Alice…"

Jack's tone was even and sweet, but the little girl shuddered all the same. Oz couldn't tell whether it was from fear or pleasure. She chanced an unsettled glance back at Jack. Oz held his breath.

"I want you to give me Oz's powers," the ghost susurrated. "I will become the Black Rabbit whom Lacie contracted."

He could barely keep the excitement from his voice. Jack took a deep breath to calm himself, and added smoothly:

"This way, I can save myself, and our pasts won't change. But if you don't," he said, voice syrupy as he caressed her cheek, "my past self will die, and our meeting will be erased."

"That's enough, Jack," Alice snapped, startling them both. She made her way through the crowd of booing toys without sparing them a second glance, and held out her hand to her twin. "Let's do it, Alice. I know how to transfer Oz's powers, I'll give you a hand."

"But," the Will of the Abyss hiccupped, "Jack… What will happen to you…?"

"I will stay by Lacie's side," the ghost answered without missing a beat. "Until the very end, when she was cast into the Abyss."

The Will of the Abyss brought her hands to her mouth in horror. She made to get away. Jack only tightened his grip. He placed a chaste kiss on her temple:

"It's okay, Alice," he told her. "If this is the price for the chance of meeting you, I will happily pay it."

Her eyes welled up with tears. Unable to hold back, she broke down in loud, desperate cries, her pallid fingers digging into Jack's arms as he held her. Her twin couldn't contain a grimace at the sight. Oz felt awful.

He could see the truth beneath Jack's lies. This was the fate he had always wished for: to be together with Lacie, even in death. It made no difference to him if he had to take on the appearance and powers of a monster in order to reach this goal. Jack was happy, genuinely happy to run to his doom. He was only leading the Will of the Abyss on with white lies.

Oz knew all this. Had planned all this, taken advantage of both Jack and this Alice's weaknesses in a desperate attempt to have his own wish granted. But he couldn't go back, not as long as Gilbert and Alice were trapped here with him. So he swallowed his guilt and doubts, and spoke:

"**Alice,"** he told the Will of the Abyss, hating how scary his voice sounded. **"You can't stay here. This place is driving you mad. We will show you the way back. Kevin Regnard will be there, and so will your sister. So will I. You won't be alone anymore. So…"**

She was looking at him now, still shaking from her ear-piercing cries. She probably couldn't even see him through the onslaught of tears that she couldn't bring under control. Seeing her so upset, it suddenly struck Oz that he meant every word. Deceits and pretty lies came naturally to Jack, who had been manipulating the Will of the Abyss all along, but Oz couldn't see past the helpless little girl who used to hold him in the dark. An insignificant plush rabbit, yet her only comfort in her timeless prison before the Tragedy.

"**Please… don't cry."**

The Will of the Abyss sniffed audibly. She looked from him to her sister, then to Jack, who nodded. Alice beckoned her with an imperious wave of her extended hand. Her sister gulped uneasily and, at long last, took it.

"Wait!"

'Gil...'

Both sisters turned questioning gazes towards the man. The Will of the Abyss was wiping her cheeks with her free hand.

"What about Oz?" Gilbert asked. "What will happen to him after you take his powers?"

The Will of the Abyss frowned at him like he was the most stupid person she had ever met. The toys burst into a chorus of hollow laughter:

'_Didn't you know?'_ the rag doll of a jester asked among jingles from its hat. _'The Abyss can turn humans and objects into Chains!'_

'_And Chains make pacts in order to go back to the other side,'_ a rocking horse added. _'For a chance at being human again!'_

'_Even Cheshire wanted a human body,'_ the crowned doll in the red dress snickered.

'_You have to pay the price!'_ a plush dodo cawed at Jack.

"It's the least I can do," the ghost laughed good-humouredly. "I don't have a use for this body anymore. Once B-Rabbit's power is shared between me and Alice and I take his appearance, Oz can have mine as payment."

Even as the monster he was, Oz felt strangely small and exposed among the mocking toys. The truth was out. The selfish reason why he had insisted so much on fulfilling this plan when he couldn't come up with a better solution.

"Really?" Gilbert asked in a hushed voice. "You can make Oz human again?"

Against his better judgement, Oz let his eyes wander to him. Gilbert looked giddy with joy, his pale cheeks flushed a bright red over a wide, almost boyish smile. It felt like forever since Oz had seen him so effusive. The Chain felt a fond laugh bubble up in his chest, only to remain trapped there.

The rabbit shook himself. For his servant's sake, Oz tried not to think about the people he had used in order to get there; tried to forget about all the contracts that had gone wrong in the past. He had thought this through. They weren't changing the past. There should be no repercussions.

All the same, Gilbert noticed his lack of reaction. A cloud crept over the man's face. In the same moment, the Will of the Abyss turned to Oz and held out a delicate hand:

"You were late," she told him, mildly reproachful. "But you did bring Jack to me in the end. So come along, Mister Rabbit."

Before he could take a step, Oz felt a human hand on his arm. He looked down and met Gilbert's eyes. Once again, Oz was stricken by how open they looked. No matter how they had narrowed over the past ten years, they were still the same bright gold, full of warmth and undisguised concern.

"Oz..."

Gilbert couldn't form another word. Yet there was so much in that name, in the way he said it and looked up at Oz, laden with a love that Oz had always seen and craved, but never dared believe in. _'You don't have to do this,'_ Gilbert's face said, bare before him like an open book. _'You don't know what might happen. I don't want to lose you. Not again.'_

Oz could have wept then, would have kissed Gilbert right there and then if he had a human body to do so. To have this gaze directed at him, whether he was human or a Chain, to know that Gilbert didn't and would never see the difference, it was almost enough to make him change his mind.

The rabbit attempted a smile, but stopped himself when he realized he couldn't manage anything but a feral grin in this form. He couldn't even give Gilbert that much as reassurance. Oz ducked his head to be level with his:

"**I have to do this, Gil,"** he told him in as gentle a growl as he could manage. **"I don't want to hurt anyone anymore. I never wanted this power in the first place... Jack can have it. Lacie won't use it to destroy the world, she loves it too much for that."**

Gilbert's fingers sank in the rough fur and hung on like he was terrified to let go. He, too, looked torn between the temptation of hope and the urge to throw himself at Oz and never let go.

"**Let me do this, Gil,"** Oz asked, all too aware of his sharp teeth and claws, of how inhuman he really was, no matter what Gilbert saw beyond. **"I want to go back to the way we were."**

As much as it seemed to cost him, Gilbert did let go. Oz crawled on all fours towards the twins and forced himself not to look back. Seeing Alice's confident grin eased some of his fears.

Jack came to stand beside him. To the rabbit's surprise, the ghost turned to look at the brothers. There was something akin to an apology in his smile:

"Vincent… Your red eye reminded me of Lacie. This is the reason I rescued you and Gilbert, all those years ago. I simply couldn't stand by and leave you to die. It was this eye that saved your life and your brother's."

Oz heard a soft gasp behind him. Jack's grin widened:

"It really is beautiful. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

With these parting words, the ghost turned back to the Will of the Abyss. They hugged one last time. Then Alice pulled her twin away and clasped their hands together. The Will of the Abyss rested her forehead against hers obediently. There were tears on her cheeks, but her lips were pressed together into a determined line. Alice's expression mirrored hers.

A blinding glow erupted from their joined hands. It expanded until it swallowed the entire room and its cheering toys. Oz heard the broken grandfather clock strike twelve in the background before his sense of hearing was taken along with his sight. He felt small and naked in the raw light, like it was about to swallow him whole. Oz was dimly aware of another presence, very close, someone familiar and scary all the same.

_Jack._

Something was being taken from him, dragged away by that presence. Something strong and intimate, ripped straight from his very being, or so it felt like. Oz wanted to cry. He couldn't move. He was drained dry, all his energy leaving his body like sunlight – _did he have a body? _– until there was nothing but cold and emptiness, nothing but _Oz._

Suspended in this bare state somewhere between time and space, Oz heard a familiar tune in the distance. A young girl humming a song.

_Lacie._

Jack's presence was drifting away, in the direction of the voice. _"Hey. My name is Lacie."_ Oz felt an overwhelming joy that wasn't his own._ "My name is B-Rabbit. Will you make a pact with me, Lacie?"_

Their voices flickered and died.

Suddenly a sharp pain pulled him down. Everything came back at once: weight, smell, sounds, _colours,_ everything too bright and cold for him to endure. It had to stop, lest he would go mad. _Oz._ Someone was calling. His limbs felt like they were made of lead, the angles looked too sharp, the reds and whites too vivid. _Oz._ Someone was calling him...

Oz opened his eyes to chaos. The room was breaking apart all around him in a rain of red and white rocks. The blast tore the sisters apart. The Will of the Abyss clutched her chest and opened her mouth wide in a mute cry when a bright glow was pulled from her body. She was falling backwards into the darkness. Only then did Oz realize he was falling too.

Small arms embraced him from behind – _human,_ Oz realized with a jolt, _I am human again – _and he heard Alice's voice in his ear. He tried to reach for her hands around his chest, but his whole body was quivering. Darkness was closing in on them, weighing him down. He couldn't move.

"_Oz!_"

Oz's eyes widened. His body was _shrinking._ In his panic, his eyes looked all over the collapsing room for the source of the voice. He saw black wings and a glint of metal. At last his lips were unsealed:

"_Gil!_ Call… my name!"

Those were Oz's last words before his voice got sucked into the darkness.


End file.
